Enrollment
340
Elementary
DISTRICT 265 · STATE 332
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·JOHNSTON·NCES 440054000131
Thornton School
4 School Street, Johnston, RI 02919 · (401) 943-7369 · Providence County
GRADES 01–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL340 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.0:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.0:1 · STATE 13.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
69%
234 students
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 72 | 21% |
| Grade 2 | 72 | 21% |
| Grade 3 | 74 | 22% |
| Grade 4 | 62 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 60 | 18% |
This year's 1st grade class (72) is 20% larger than its 5th grade class (60).
Student demographics
63%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 64% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within Johnston. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
RICAS + NGSA 2024-25 . % Meeting or Exceeding ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
28.4%
RI avg 34.2%
Math
25.3%
RI avg 32.8%
What this means: On the RICAS + NGSA, Rhode Island's statewide test, about 28 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 25 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Rhode Island schools, those numbers are about 34 and 33.
Source: RICAS + NGSA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Thornton School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton School this school | 340 | 68.8% | N/A |
| Edgewood Highland Cranston | 276 | 67.4% | N/A |
| Winsor Hill School Johnston | 380 | 60.5% | N/A |
| Leo A. Savoie School Woonsocket | 380 | 62.4% | N/A |
| George J. Peters School Cranston | 244 | 62.3% | N/A |
| Oakland Beach School Warwick | 326 | 61.3% | N/A |
Matched among Rhode Island elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Thornton School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Rhode Island | In Providence County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 25.3% | #112 of 166 | #60 of 105 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 28.4% | #98 of 166 | #47 of 105 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 340 | #72 of 179 | #57 of 112 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.0:1 | #10 of 168 | #2 of 106 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 63.2% | #32 of 159 | #31 of 97 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 68.8% | #55 of 176 | #53 of 111 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -1.4% | #94 of 99 | #50 of 55 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
340
+15 (+5%) vs 2020
+17% since 1990-91, when it was 290
Student : Teacher
11.0:1
was 12.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 340 | 31 | 11.0:1 | 69% (234) |
| 2023-24 | 346 | 30 | 11.5:1 | 63% (217) |
| 2022-23 | 335 | 30.9 | 10.8:1 | 61% (206) |
| 2020-21 | 325 | 27 | 12.0:1 | 57% (185) |
| 2017-18 | 345 | 29.7 | 11.6:1 | 64% (221) |
| 2015-16 | 368 | 29 | 12.7:1 | 71% (262) |
| 2010-11 | 339 | 27 | 12.6:1 | 52% (176) |
| 2000-01 | 313 | 22 | 14.2:1 | 36% (114) |
| 1990-91 | 290 | 18 | 16.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Thornton School.
Since 2017-18: students down 1% (345 to 340); teachers up 4% (29.7 to 31).
About Thornton School
Thornton School is an elementary school with a street address in Johnston, Rhode Island. Enrollment stands at 340 students, covering grades 1 through 5.
Johnston is made up of 8 schools with 3,136 students in all.
The largest group at Thornton School is Hispanic students, at 46%. Other students are 38% White, 9% Black, 4% Asian, and 3% multiracial. That is higher than the 26% Hispanic share among all Providence County residents. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 63%.
The student-to-teacher ratio at Thornton School is 11.0:1, based on 31 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for elementary schools in Rhode Island, 13.6:1, is higher. Thornton School counts 69% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
In the wider Providence County area, the median household earns about $78,787 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 32% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. Thornton School shares Providence County with 205 other public schools.
Stone Hill School sits about 0.8 miles from Thornton School. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
Its location is classified as Suburb: Large by the National Center for Education Statistics.
Since 2020-21, enrollment has grown 5%, from 325 to 340. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio dropped to 11.0:1, from 12.0:1.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on athletics, class schedules, and weather closures here. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Providence County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
664,854
Census ACS
Median income
$78,787
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
206
88,799 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Johnston
- Johnston Senior HighHigh · 826 students
- Nicholas A. Ferri MiddleMiddle · 720 students
- Winsor Hill SchoolElementary · 380 students
- Sarah Dyer Barnes SchoolElementary · 266 students
- Brown Avenue SchoolElementary · 251 students
- Early Childhood CenterElementary · 201 students
Other schools in Johnston
- Johnston Senior HighHigh · 826 students
- Nicholas A. Ferri MiddleMiddle · 720 students
- Winsor Hill SchoolElementary · 380 students
- Sarah Dyer Barnes SchoolElementary · 266 students
- Brown Avenue SchoolElementary · 251 students
- Early Childhood CenterElementary · 201 students
Nearby schools
- Stone Hill School0.8 mi · 234
- George J. Peters School1.1 mi · 244
- Arlington School1.3 mi · 209
- Winsor Hill School1.3 mi · 380
- Gladstone Street School1.5 mi · 402
- Anthony Carnevale Elementary1.5 mi · 519
Frequently asked questions
About Thornton SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Thornton School?
Thornton School enrolls approximately 340 students in grades 01-05.
What grades does Thornton School serve?
Thornton School serves grades 01-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Thornton School is approximately 11.0:1 (31 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Thornton School?
At Thornton School, the student body is approximately 38% White, 46% Hispanic, 9% Black, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Thornton School?
Thornton School is overseen by Johnston in Providence County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.