Enrollment
1,424
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Katy, TX
Thornton Middle
Federal NCES profile for Thornton Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 481611004206
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median.
- #18 of 18
- middle schools in Katy · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 68.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Middle ranks #18 of 18 middle schools in Katy, TX.
School address
District: Cypress-Fairbanks Isd · Texas
NCES ID 481611004206 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.9%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton Middle
Thornton Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Katy, Texas, enrolling 1,424 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Texas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.9% lands close to the Texas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Texas, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,424 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 385 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #170.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 501 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Cypress-Fairbanks Isd spends $10,232 per pupil, 25% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 504 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,424 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students) and Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students) alongside Thornton Middle.
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 Middle compares
Thornton Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.9% | ▲ 11% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,424 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,424
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Texas - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.6%
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
$10,232
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
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 501 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
273
in-school suspensions + 231 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.4 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 56.6%
African American 31.3%
White 4.8%
Asian 3.5%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, Thornton Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cypress-Fairbanks Isd, which includes Thornton Middle.
$10,232
Per student
-25%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 28.5%
Federal 15.5%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeland H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Woods H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Ranch H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jersey Village H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cypress Creek H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,707
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 3,469
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,463
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 3,323
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 3,222
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,424 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton Middle's federal record.
- Compare Thornton Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cypress-Fairbanks 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 Middle
How many students attend Thornton Middle?
Thornton Middle has 1,424 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Katy, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton Middle is 13.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 15% 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 Middle?
68.9% of students at Thornton Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton Middle?
The largest demographic group at Thornton Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 56.6% of enrollment, in Katy, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton Middle?
Thornton Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Middle rank among middle schools in Katy?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton Middle ranks #18 of 18 middle schools in Katy, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Katy on the city page.
Is Thornton Middle a good school?
Thornton Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. 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 Cypress-Fairbanks Isd?
Besides Thornton Middle, Cypress-Fairbanks Isd also operates Bridgeland H S (3,707 students), Cypress Woods H S (3,469 students), and Cypress Ranch H S (3,463 students). See the Cypress-Fairbanks 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.