Enrollment
1,972
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fremont, CA
Thornton Junior High
Federal NCES profile for Thornton Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 061440001687
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton Junior High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #3 of 5
- middle schools in Fremont · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 39.4:1
- large classes for California
- 13.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton Junior High has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Junior High ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Fremont, CA.
School address
District: Fremont Unified · California
NCES ID 061440001687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
39.4:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+83% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton Junior High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton Junior High
Thornton Junior High is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Fremont, California, enrolling 1,972 students.
Class loads run heavy: 39.4:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 83% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.7% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,972 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 198 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by Asian (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 789 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Fremont Unified spends $12,515 per pupil, 24% below the California average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Fremont's middle schools, it stands alongside John M. Horner Middle (1,574 students): Thornton Junior High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (39.4:1 vs 25.4:1).
Fremont Unified also operates American High (2,618 students) and Irvington High (2,157 students) alongside Thornton Junior High.
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 Junior High compares
Thornton Junior High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 39.4:1 | ▲ 83% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.7% | ▼ 75% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,972 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
39.4:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,972
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% below the California average of 55.5%
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
39.4:1
students per teacher
- 83% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,515
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 789 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
Asian 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
White 6.7%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.1, Thornton Junior High is less mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fremont Unified, which includes Thornton Junior High.
$12,515
Per student
-24%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 52.4%
Federal 6.7%
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 Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| American High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irvington High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission San Jose High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John M. Horner Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,618
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,157
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,957
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,574
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Fremont
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
John M. Horner Middle
Standard public school
1,574 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Centerville Junior High
Standard public school
1,495 students 35.6:1 students per teacher
William Hopkins Junior High
Standard public school
1,424 students 34.7:1 students per teacher
G. M. Walters Middle
Standard public school
1,149 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,972 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~39.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton Junior High's federal record.
- Compare Thornton Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- Fremont Unified'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 Junior High
How many students attend Thornton Junior High?
Thornton Junior High has 1,972 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fremont, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton Junior High is 39.4:1, which is 83% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 151% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thornton Junior High?
13.7% of students at Thornton Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton Junior High?
The largest demographic group at Thornton Junior High is Asian at 76.2% of enrollment, in Fremont, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton Junior High?
Thornton Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Junior High rank among middle schools in Fremont?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Junior High ranks #3 of 5 middle schools in Fremont, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Fremont on the city page.
Is Thornton Junior High a good school?
Thornton Junior High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 Fremont Unified?
Besides Thornton Junior High, Fremont Unified also operates American High (2,618 students), Irvington High (2,157 students), and Washington High (1,957 students). See the Fremont Unified 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.