Enrollment
537
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arlington, MA
Thompson
Federal NCES profile for Thompson, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 250198000066
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thompson earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Massachusetts schools.
- #4 of 7
- elementary schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 537
- students enrolled
Thompson has class sizes larger than 77% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thompson ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Arlington, MA.
School address
District: Arlington · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250198000066 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thompson compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thompson
Thompson is a mid-sized elementary school in Arlington, Massachusetts, enrolling 537 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 537 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 59/100).
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Arlington's elementary schools, it stands alongside M Norcross Stratton (448 students): Thompson is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.8:1 vs 12.4:1).
Arlington also operates Arlington High (1,677 students) and Ottoson Middle (963 students) alongside Thompson.
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 Thompson compares
Thompson on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 537 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
537
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$20,341
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 60.6%
Asian 13.2%
Two or More 12.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
African American 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 60.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.0, Thompson is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington, which includes Thompson.
$20,341
Per student
-9%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.2%
State 32.9%
Federal 4.9%
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 Thompson Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ottoson Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gibbs School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| M Norcross Stratton | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brackett | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thompson's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,677
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools in Arlington
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
M Norcross Stratton
Standard public school
448 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Brackett
Standard public school
394 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Cyrus E Dallin
Standard public school
390 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Hardy
Standard public school
382 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
John a Bishop
Standard public school
375 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Peirce
Standard public school
318 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~537 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thompson's federal record.
- Compare Thompson against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington'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 Thompson
How many students attend Thompson?
Thompson has 537 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arlington, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thompson?
The student-teacher ratio at Thompson is 13.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thompson?
The largest demographic group at Thompson is White at 60.6% of enrollment, in Arlington, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thompson?
Thompson has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thompson rank among elementary schools in Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Thompson ranks #4 of 7 elementary schools in Arlington, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Thompson a good school?
Thompson earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Massachusetts 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 Arlington?
Besides Thompson, Arlington also operates Arlington High (1,677 students), Ottoson Middle (963 students), and Gibbs School (529 students). See the Arlington 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.