Enrollment
593
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dearborn Heights, MI
Thorne Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thorne Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 261164004623
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thorne Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median.
- #6 of 9
- schools in Dearborn Heights · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 87.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Thorne Elementary School has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thorne Elementary School ranks #6 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI.
School address
District: Westwood Community School District · Michigan
NCES ID 261164004623 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.1%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thorne Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thorne Elementary School
Thorne Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, enrolling 593 students.
At 16.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Michigan median, within a few percentage points of the 17.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 87.1% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 593 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 311 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #149.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (21%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 80.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Westwood Community School District spends $18,117 per pupil, 34% above the Michigan average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 44.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dearborn Heights's public schools, it stands alongside Global Heights Academy (274 students): Thorne Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 21.1:1).
Westwood Community School District also operates Robichaud Senior High School (328 students) and Tomlinson Middle School (180 students) alongside Thorne 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 Thorne Elementary School compares
Thorne Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.1% | ▲ 60% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 593 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
593
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Michigan - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
80.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,117
per pupil, district-wide
- above Michigan avg of $13,507
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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
African American 65.3%
White 20.6%
Two or More 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, Thorne Elementary School is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Westwood Community School District, which includes Thorne Elementary School.
$18,117
Per student
+34%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.7%
State 37.8%
Federal 44.4%
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 Thorne Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robichaud Senior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tomlinson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Daly School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westwood Virtual Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westwood North Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thorne Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 180
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 175
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 174
- Students per teacher
- 87:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 52
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Dearborn Heights
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~593 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thorne Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thorne Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Westwood Community School 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 Thorne Elementary School
How many students attend Thorne Elementary School?
Thorne Elementary School has 593 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dearborn Heights, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thorne Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thorne Elementary School is 16.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thorne Elementary School?
87.1% of students at Thorne Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thorne Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thorne Elementary School is African American at 65.3% of enrollment, in Dearborn Heights, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thorne Elementary School?
Thorne Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Thorne Elementary School rank among schools in Dearborn Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Thorne Elementary School ranks #6 of 9 schools in Dearborn Heights, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dearborn Heights on the city page.
Is Thorne Elementary School a good school?
Thorne Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. 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 Westwood Community School District?
Besides Thorne Elementary School, Westwood Community School District also operates Robichaud Senior High School (328 students), Tomlinson Middle School (180 students), and Daly School (175 students). See the Westwood Community School 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.