Enrollment
402
Washington · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Seattle, WA
Thornton Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thornton Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 530771001253
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton Creek Elementary School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington schools.
- #2 of 37
- schools in Seattle · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.2:1
- small classes for Washington
- 9.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton Creek Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington schools. Computed live against every Washington school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 37 schools in Seattle, WA.
School address
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington
NCES ID 530771001253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 17.6:1 Washington avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.4%
vs 45.0% Washington avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton Creek Elementary School compares with Washington and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton Creek Elementary School
Thornton Creek Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Seattle, Washington, enrolling 402 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Thornton Creek Elementary School is leaner than roughly 88% of Washington schools and 31% under the state's 17.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.4% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Washington average.
With 402 students, its enrollment sits close to the Washington median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 2,394 Washington schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 246 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Washington schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 61/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Seattle's public schools, it stands alongside Summit Public School: Atlas (566 students): Thornton Creek Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 18.9:1).
Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students) and Ballard High School (1,697 students) alongside Thornton Creek 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 Thornton Creek Elementary School compares
Thornton Creek Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Washington and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Washington | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 31% | 17.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.4% | ▼ 79% | 45.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 402 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
402
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 12% in Washington - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$20,430
per pupil, district-wide
- above Washington avg of $19,487
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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 59.1%
Two or More 13.0%
Asian 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
African American 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, Thornton Creek Elementary School is more mixed than the Washington school average of 53.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Thornton Creek Elementary School.
$20,430
Per student
+5%
vs Washington
Avg $19,487
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 50.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 Thornton Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ballard High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Seattle High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,542
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,507
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Seattle
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Summit Public School: Atlas
Standard public school
566 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
White Center Heights Elementary
Standard public school
527 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Hilltop Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
Mount View Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 20:1 students per teacher
Louisa Boren Stem K-8
Standard public school
437 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Beverly Park Elem at Glendale
Standard public school
411 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Washington, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~402 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thornton Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Seattle School District No. 1'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 Thornton Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Thornton Creek Elementary School?
Thornton Creek Elementary School has 402 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Seattle, WA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton Creek Elementary School is 12.2:1, which is 31% lower than the Washington average of 17.6:1 and 22% lower 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 Thornton Creek Elementary School?
9.4% of students at Thornton Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Washington average of 45.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thornton Creek Elementary School is White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Seattle, WA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton Creek Elementary School?
Thornton Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher 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 Thornton Creek Elementary School rank among schools in Seattle?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Creek Elementary School ranks #2 of 37 schools in Seattle, WA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Seattle on the city page.
Is Thornton Creek Elementary School a good school?
Thornton Creek Elementary School earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Washington 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 Seattle School District No. 1?
Besides Thornton Creek Elementary School, Seattle School District No. 1 also operates Lincoln High School (1,770 students), Ballard High School (1,697 students), and Roosevelt High School (1,542 students). See the Seattle School District No. 1 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.