Public schools in Thornton, CO
Thornton has 39 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 8 high, 5 middle, 20 elementary, 6 other, enrolling 21,592 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Adams 12 Five Star Schools runs 25 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Thornton's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Thornton | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams 12 Five Star Schools | 25 | 35,747 | $14,748 |
| Mapleton Public Schools | 10 | 7,088 | $14,482 |
| 27J Schools | 4 | 22,713 | $10,854 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
8 high schools in Thornton, 4,999 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverdale Ridge High School | 1,784 | 21.7 | 32.5% | 27J Schools |
| Thornton High School | 1,439 | 16.3 | 69.1% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Academy High School | 399 | 17.7 | 59.6% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts | 393 | 16.9 | 57.8% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Pathways Future Center | 386 | 19.5 | 65.3% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Mapleton Early Career Preparation | 306 | 19.3 | 58.8% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| New America School - Thornton | 190 | 27.1 | 74.2% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| North Valley School for Young Adults | 102 | 22.2 | 57.8% | Mapleton Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 middle schools in Thornton, 3,977 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Top Middle School | 1,052 | 18.5 | 22.7% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Rodger Quist Middle School | 855 | 18.6 | 32.2% | 27J Schools |
| Thornton Middle School | 721 | 16.4 | 75.7% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Century Middle School | 717 | 18.6 | 40.9% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Shadow Ridge Middle School | 632 | 16.3 | 46.8% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
20 elementary schools in Thornton, 8,993 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ridge Elementary | 690 | 17.2 | 35.2% | 27J Schools |
| STEM Launch | 677 | 14.7 | 65.3% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Brantner Elementary School | 574 | 16.5 | 36.2% | 27J Schools |
| Explore Pk-8 | 557 | 19.8 | 53.9% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Silver Creek Elementary | 538 | 17.9 | 15.1% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Hunters Glen Elementary School | 491 | 18.0 | 46.8% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Tarver Elementary School | 475 | 21.3 | 31.6% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Eagleview Elementary School | 451 | 16.7 | 33.0% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Clayton Partnership School | 430 | 18.6 | 65.8% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Stellar Elementary School | 418 | 16.7 | 55.7% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
The other 10 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coronado Hills Elementary School | 412 | 14.7 | 73.8% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Thornton Elementary School | 387 | 13.8 | 81.1% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Woodglen Elementary School | 383 | 17.0 | 55.6% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Meadow Community School | 378 | 17.2 | 64.0% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Prairie Hills Elementary School | 378 | 17.6 | 25.9% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Riverdale Elementary School | 372 | 16.2 | 58.9% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Achieve Academy | 370 | 17.6 | 65.7% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| McElwain Elementary School | 361 | 14.4 | 86.7% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Skyview Elementary School | 326 | 13.2 | 51.8% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Cherry Drive Elementary School | 325 | 16.3 | 45.8% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
6 other schools in Thornton, 3,623 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stargate Charter School | 1,572 | 19.5 | 8.5% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| York International | 776 | 19.4 | 58.0% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Westgate Community School | 540 | 20.0 | 30.4% | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Five Star Online Academy | 506 | 15.5 | not reported | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| Preschool on Poze | 193 | 16.8 | 58.5% | Mapleton Public Schools |
| Bright Horizons Preschool | 36 | not reported | not reported | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Thornton's public schools compare with Colorado's
The median Thornton school has 17.4 students per full-time teacher, more than the Colorado median of 15.4. 26% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 33% across the state. Its median school enrolls 430 students (state 368).
| Thornton | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 17.4 | 15.4 |
| Median school size (students) | 430 | 368 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 26% | 33% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 90% | 72% |
| Charter schools | 7.7% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 39 Thornton schools and the 1,861 Colorado schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Thornton
- Adams 12 Five Star SchoolsRuns 25 of Thornton's 39 public schools and spent $14,748 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,748
- Riverdale Ridge High School, the largest high school in Thornton1,784 students in 2024-25, 21.7 per teacher.1,784
- Compare Adams 12 Five Star Schools with Mapleton Public SchoolsThornton's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in ColoradoColorado's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Thornton addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Colorado
- Denver226 schools
- Colorado Springs179 schools
- Aurora100 schools
- Fort Collins47 schools
- Lakewood47 schools
- Pueblo45 schools
- Littleton42 schools
- Grand Junction33 schools
Questions about schools in Thornton
How many public schools are in Thornton, CO?
39 public schools with an address in Thornton were open in 2024-25: 8 high, 5 middle, 20 elementary, 6 other, enrolling 21,592 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Thornton?
Riverdale Ridge High School, with 1,784 students in 2024-25 (27J Schools).Which districts run Thornton's schools?
Adams 12 Five Star Schools (25 schools), Mapleton Public Schools (10 schools), 27J Schools (4 schools). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25