Enrollment
721
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Franklinton, LA
Thomas Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 220186001427
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Louisiana schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Franklinton · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 20.6:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Elementary School has class sizes larger than 87% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Franklinton, LA.
School address
District: Washington Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220186001427 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Elementary School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Elementary School
Thomas Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Franklinton, Louisiana, enrolling 721 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.6:1 is larger than about 87% of Louisiana schools and 23% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 721 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 272 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #84.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 361 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Franklinton's public schools, it stands alongside Pine School (738 students): Thomas Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.6:1 vs 19.4:1).
Washington Parish also operates Pine School (738 students) and Franklinton High School (649 students) alongside Thomas Elementary 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 Thomas Elementary School compares
Thomas Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.6:1 | ▲ 23% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▼ 28% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 721 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
721
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 87% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
4.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,638
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 361 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 82.8%
African American 13.5%
Two or More 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 82.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.6, Thomas Elementary School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Washington Parish, which includes Thomas Elementary School.
$13,638
Per student
-17%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 55.5%
Federal 22.5%
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 Thomas Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklinton High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklinton Primary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklinton Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt. Hermon School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 649
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 373
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar other schools in Franklinton
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~721 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Washington Parish'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 Thomas Elementary School
How many students attend Thomas Elementary School?
Thomas Elementary School has 721 students enrolled. It is a public school in Franklinton, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Elementary School is 20.6:1, which is 23% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Elementary School?
45.2% of students at Thomas Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Elementary School is White at 82.8% of enrollment, in Franklinton, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Elementary School?
Thomas Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thomas Elementary School rank among schools in Franklinton?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Franklinton, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Franklinton on the city page.
Is Thomas Elementary School a good school?
Thomas Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Louisiana 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 Washington Parish?
Besides Thomas Elementary School, Washington Parish also operates Pine School (738 students), Franklinton High School (649 students), and Franklinton Primary School (567 students). See the Washington Parish 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.