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What's something THORNTON EL does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
763
Elementary
DISTRICT 475 · STATE 519
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·TEMPLE ISD·NCES 484233004828
Thornton Elementary School
2825 COTTONWOOD LN, TEMPLE, TX 76502 · (254) 215-5700 · Bell County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL763 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
17.5:1
44 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.5:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
67%
512 students
DISTRICT 73% · STATE 65%
Community
1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 3 | 0% |
| Kindergarten | 124 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 106 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 137 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 128 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 134 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 131 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (124) is 5% smaller than its 5th grade class (131).
Student demographics
59%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 63% · 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
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
41.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +21.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
41.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +11.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 41 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 41 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 21 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 11 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 19.0% | 22.0% | 22.0% | 37.0% |
| Mathematics | 19.0% | 22.0% | 20.0% | 39.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 41.0% | 41.0% |
| 2024-25 | 42.0% | 38.0% |
| 2023-24 | 45.0% | 40.0% |
| 2022-23 | 31.0% | 46.0% |
| 2021-22 | 33.0% | 40.0% |
| 2020-21 | 20.0% | 30.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
36.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
45.0%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 37% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Thornton Elementary School
Thornton Elementary School's state test result (36.9% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton Elementary School this school | 763 | 67.1% | 36.9% |
| Ehrhardt Elementary School KLEIN | 713 | 66.1% | 52.9% |
| Schultz Elementary School KLEIN | 707 | 64.9% | 54.3% |
| I T Holleman Elementary School WALLER | 753 | 70.4% | 42.0% |
| Roth Elementary School KLEIN | 683 | 65.6% | 47.6% |
| Crosby Kindergarten Center CROSBY | 685 | 67.9% | N/A |
Matched among Texas 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 Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Texas | In Bell County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 36.9% | #2,963 of 4,401 | #38 of 54 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 41.0% | #2,796 of 4,466 ▲ 203 | #29 of 55 ▲ 6 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 41.0% | #3,622 of 4,466 ▼ 260 | #49 of 55 ▼ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.5pp | #2,522 of 3,998 | #27 of 50 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 763 | #588 of 4,938 | #14 of 62 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.5:1 | #4,070 of 4,622 | #52 of 57 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 59.4% | #1,468 of 4,628 | #45 of 57 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 67.1% | #2,717 of 4,789 | #25 of 59 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +4.0% | #1,051 of 1,307 | #7 of 13 |
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
763
+38 (+5%) vs 2020
+39% since 1990-91, when it was 550
Student : Teacher
17.5:1
was 17.7:1
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 | 763 | 43.6 | 17.5:1 | 67% (512) |
| 2023-24 | 740 | 43.9 | 16.9:1 | 74% (548) |
| 2022-23 | 744 | 44.4 | 16.8:1 | 76% (568) |
| 2020-21 | 725 | 41 | 17.7:1 | 82% (592) |
| 2017-18 | 734 | 44 | 16.7:1 | 72% (532) |
| 2015-16 | 545 | 32 | 17.0:1 | 66% (362) |
| 2010-11 | 505 | 32 | 15.8:1 | 62% (312) |
| 2000-01 | 475 | 35 | 13.6:1 | 42% (200) |
| 1990-91 | 550 | 31 | 17.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Thornton Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 4% (734 to 763); teachers down 1% (44 to 43.6).
About Thornton Elementary School
Students in TEMPLE, Texas, attend Thornton Elementary School, a medium-sized elementary school. School enrollment was 763 students in 2024-25, in pre-K through 5. For comparison, elementary schools in Texas average about 519 students.
Besides Thornton Elementary School, TEMPLE ISD runs 16 other schools. The district enrolls 9,073 students.
At Thornton Elementary School, Hispanic students make up 59% of the student body. Next come 20% White, 13% Black, 5% multiracial, and 3% Asian. The county population is about 26% Hispanic. Thornton Elementary School's diversity index is 59%, against a US figure of 70%.
Thornton Elementary School employs 43.6 full-time-equivalent teachers. That gives a ratio of about 17.5:1. This ratio sits 2.4 above the 15.1:1 average for elementary schools in Texas. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 67% in 2024-25. The gap from the 57% average for public schools in Bell County is 10 points.
BeatsExpectations compares each school's average proficiency rate on state tests with a prediction based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. For Thornton Elementary School, the prediction is 45.0% and the result is 36.9%.
Among Bell County residents, the median household income is $68,865, 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Thornton Elementary School is one of 130 public schools in the county.
The nearest public school is Cater Elementary School, at about 1.1 miles. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Thornton Elementary School comes in 5th of 7 nearby schools on average proficiency.
In the federal locale system, Thornton Elementary School is coded City: Small, for schools inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
Enrollment is up 5% from 2020-21, when Thornton Elementary School had 725 students, to 2024-25, when it had 763.
The Thornton Elementary School community page is open for posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Bell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
386,897
Census ACS
Median income
$68,865
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
27%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
130
71,041 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in TEMPLE ISD
- Temple High SchoolHigh · 2,320 students
- Travis Science AcademyMiddle · 686 students
- Bonham Middle SchoolMiddle · 627 students
- Sampson-Howard Elementary SchoolElementary · 611 students
- Lamar Middle SchoolMiddle · 553 students
- Jefferson Elementary SchoolElementary · 504 students
Other schools in TEMPLE
- Temple High SchoolHigh · 2,320 students
- Lake Belton High SchoolHigh · 2,300 students
- North Belton Middle SchoolMiddle · 979 students
- Lake Belton Middle SchoolMiddle · 803 students
- Travis Science AcademyMiddle · 686 students
- Bonham Middle SchoolMiddle · 627 students
Other Thornton Elementary schools
3 other US public schools in 2 states are named Thornton Elementary. Thornton Elementary School is the 2nd largest of the 4.
- Thornton Elementary SchoolARLINGTON, TX · 849 students
- Thornton Elementary SchoolSAN ANTONIO, TX · 573 students
- Thornton Elementary SchoolTHORNTON, CO · 387 students
Nearby schools
- Cater Elementary School1.1 mi · 309
- Scott Elementary School1.2 mi · 442
- Ki Charter - Temple1.2 mi · 9
- Bonham Middle School1.3 mi · 627
- Travis Science Academy1.7 mi · 686
- Western Hills Elementary School1.9 mi · 417
Frequently asked questions
About Thornton Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Thornton Elementary School?
Thornton Elementary School enrolls approximately 763 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Thornton Elementary School serve?
Thornton Elementary School serves grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at Thornton Elementary School?
Approximately 17.5:1 students per teacher at Thornton Elementary School.
How diverse is Thornton Elementary School?
Thornton Elementary School reports a student body of 20% White, 59% Hispanic, 13% Black, 3% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees Thornton Elementary School?
Thornton Elementary School is overseen by TEMPLE ISD in Bell County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.