2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 530771001253

Thornton Creek Elementary School — Seattle, WA

Federal NCES profile for Thornton Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 67/100.

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0/100100/10067/100
👥 Class size
45
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
85
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 →

The verdict

Thornton Creek Elementary School earns a B- Resource Investment Index (67/100), with class sizes smaller than 82% of Washington schools.

B-
Resource Index · 67/100
13.8:1
small classes for Washington
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
402
students enrolled

School address

Seattle, WA 98115
District: Seattle School District No. 1 · Washington

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.

Enrollment

402

Washington · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

33.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.8:1

vs 17.8:1 Washington avg

-22% 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

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:113.8:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

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 402 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% below the Washington state mean of 17.8:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 9.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 79% below the Washington average and 82% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 6.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Seattle School District No. 1 spends $25,927 per pupil district-wide, above the Washington average of $23,175 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.0% from local sources (property taxes), 50.6% from the state, and 9.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-), 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 Washington state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Washington Washington avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 13.8:1 ▼ 22% 17.8:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 9.4% ▼ 79% 45.0% 51.8%
Enrollment 402 top 53% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

14 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 61% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

402 larger than 48% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). This entry sits in this band. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
9.4%
free-lunch eligible — 79% below the Washington average of 45.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher — 22% below state mean
Top 18% in Washington — lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$25,927
per pupil, district-wide — above Washington avg of $23,175
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 + 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

Enrollment 402 Top 53% in Washington — larger than 47% of 2,465 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 -22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 9.4% -79% vs state
NCES ID 530771001253

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.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 6.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Seattle School District No. 1, which includes Thornton Creek Elementary School.

$25,927
Per student
+12%
vs Washington
Avg $23,175
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.

Other Schools in This District

Seattle School District No. 1 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Seattle

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Broadview-Thomson K-8 School
Standard public school
581 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
South Shore Pk-8 School
Standard public school
546 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Lafayette Elementary School
Standard public school
532 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Thurgood Marshall Elementary
Standard public school
500 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Arbor Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
495 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Olympic Hills Elementary School
Standard public school
486 students 14.3:1 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 402 students enrolled. It is a other 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 13.8:1, which is 22% lower than the Washington average of 17.8:1 and 13% lower 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?

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%. The school serves a diverse student body in SEATTLE, WA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton Creek Elementary School?

Thornton Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (B-) 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.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov