Enrollment
573
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · San Antonio, TX
Thornton El
Federal NCES profile for Thornton El, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 483312006769
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #199 of 327
- schools in San Antonio · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 62.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton El has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton El ranks #199 of 327 schools in San Antonio, TX.
School address
District: Northside Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483312006769 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.2%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton El compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton El
Thornton El is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in San Antonio, Texas, enrolling 573 students.
At 14.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.2% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 573 students, its enrollment sits close to the Texas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Among 1,628 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #1,259, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and Asian (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 573 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Northside Isd spends $10,615 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Northside Isd also operates Brennan H S (2,965 students) and Harlan H S (2,778 students) alongside Thornton El.
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 El compares
Thornton El on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.7:1 | ▼ 0% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▲ 0% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 573 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
573
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 56% in Texas - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.9%
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
$10,615
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 573 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.6%
Asian 17.3%
White 15.9%
Two or More 9.6%
African American 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.5, Thornton El is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northside Isd, which includes Thornton El.
$10,615
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.8%
State 21.6%
Federal 17.6%
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 El Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harlan H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clark H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandeis H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton El's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,965
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,778
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,750
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,670
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,657
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~573 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton El's federal record.
- Compare Thornton El against another school. Compare schools
- Northside Isd'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 El
How many students attend Thornton El?
Thornton El has 573 students enrolled. It is a public school in San Antonio, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton El?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton El is 14.7:1, which is 0% higher than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thornton El?
62.2% of students at Thornton El are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton El?
The largest demographic group at Thornton El is Hispanic or Latino at 50.6% of enrollment, in San Antonio, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton El?
Thornton El has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thornton El rank among schools in San Antonio?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton El ranks #199 of 327 schools in San Antonio, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in San Antonio on the city page.
Is Thornton El a good school?
Thornton El earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Northside Isd?
Besides Thornton El, Northside Isd also operates Brennan H S (2,965 students), Harlan H S (2,778 students), and Clark H S (2,750 students). See the Northside Isd 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.