Enrollment
531
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 262598000294
Thornton Creek Elementary School — Novi, MI
Federal NCES profile for Thornton Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 65
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Northville Public Schools · Michigan
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 18.2:1 Michigan avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.8%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton Creek Elementary School compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Thornton Creek Elementary School reports 531 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% below the Michigan state mean of 18.2:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 6.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 87% below the Michigan average and 87% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Northville Public Schools spends $18,992 per pupil district-wide, above the Michigan average of $15,842 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.9% from local sources (property taxes), 57.0% from the state, and 5.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Thornton Creek Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Michigan state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▼ 8% | 18.2:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.8% | ▼ 87% | 54.3% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 78% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
6.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 87% below the Michigan average of 54.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 46% in Michigan — lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$18,992
per pupil, district-wide
— above Michigan avg of $15,842
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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
Enrollment 531 Top 78% in Michigan — larger than 22% of 3,399 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 16.7:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 6.8% -87% vs state
NCES ID 262598000294
Student demographics
White 63.7%
Asian 26.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
African American 3.0%
Two or More 2.3%
Largest group: White at 63.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northville Public Schools, which includes Thornton Creek Elementary School.
$18,992
Per student
+20%
vs Michigan
Avg $15,842
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 57.0%
Federal 5.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Novi
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Novi Middle School
Standard public school
1,086 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Novi Meadows School
Standard public school
1,048 students 16:1 students per teacher
Meadowbrook Elementary School
Standard public school
518 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Parkview Elementary School
Standard public school
515 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Village Oaks Elementary School
Standard public school
499 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Hickory Woods Elementary School
Standard public school
499 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Thornton Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Thornton Creek Elementary School?
Thornton Creek Elementary School has 531 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in NOVI, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton Creek Elementary School is 16.7:1, which is 8% lower than the Michigan average of 18.2:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thornton Creek Elementary School?
6.8% of students at Thornton Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thornton Creek Elementary School is White at 63.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in NOVI, MI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton Creek Elementary School?
Thornton Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.