Enrollment
321
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Soda Springs, ID
Howard E Thirkill Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Howard E Thirkill Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160300000525
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard E Thirkill Primary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Soda Springs · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 24.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard E Thirkill Primary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard E Thirkill Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Soda Springs, ID.
School address
District: Soda Springs Joint District · Idaho
NCES ID 160300000525 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.6%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard E Thirkill Primary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard E Thirkill Primary School
Howard E Thirkill Primary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Soda Springs, Idaho, enrolling 321 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 24.6% lands close to the Idaho typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 321 students, its enrollment sits close to the Idaho median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 195 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #72.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 107 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Soda Springs Joint District also operates Tigert Middle School (268 students) and Soda Springs High School (234 students) alongside Howard E Thirkill Primary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Howard E Thirkill Primary School compares
Howard E Thirkill Primary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.6% | ▼ 16% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Idaho - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$9,846
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 107 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 89.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.7, Howard E Thirkill Primary School is less mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Soda Springs Joint District, which includes Howard E Thirkill Primary School.
$9,846
Per student
-18%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.4%
State 63.6%
Federal 11.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Howard E Thirkill Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tigert Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Soda Springs High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cte Prep School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard E Thirkill Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 20
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~321 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard E Thirkill Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Howard E Thirkill Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Soda Springs Joint District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Howard E Thirkill Primary School
How many students attend Howard E Thirkill Primary School?
Howard E Thirkill Primary School has 321 students enrolled. It is a public school in Soda Springs, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard E Thirkill Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard E Thirkill Primary School is 18.9:1, which is 11% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard E Thirkill Primary School?
24.6% of students at Howard E Thirkill Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard E Thirkill Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Howard E Thirkill Primary School is White at 89.7% of enrollment, in Soda Springs, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard E Thirkill Primary School?
Howard E Thirkill Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Howard E Thirkill Primary School rank among public schools in Soda Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard E Thirkill Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Soda Springs, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Soda Springs on the city page.
Is Howard E Thirkill Primary School a good school?
Howard E Thirkill Primary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Soda Springs Joint District?
Besides Howard E Thirkill Primary School, Soda Springs Joint District also operates Tigert Middle School (268 students), Soda Springs High School (234 students), and Cte Prep School (20 students). See the Soda Springs Joint District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.