Enrollment
340
Rhode Island · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Johnston, RI
Thornton School
Federal NCES profile for Thornton School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 440054000131
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornton School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of Rhode Island schools.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Johnston · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Rhode Island
- 49.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornton School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Rhode Island schools. Computed live against every Rhode Island school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Johnston, RI.
School address
District: Johnston · Rhode Island
NCES ID 440054000131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Rhode Island avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.3%
vs 39.6% Rhode Island avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornton School compares with Rhode Island and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornton School
Thornton School is a mid-sized elementary school in Johnston, Rhode Island, enrolling 340 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Rhode Island schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 340 students, its enrollment sits close to the Rhode Island median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 308 scored Rhode Island schools.
Against 56 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #31.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and White (38%) (diversity index 63/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Johnston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Winsor Hill School (380 students): Thornton School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 12.3:1).
Johnston also operates Johnston Senior High (826 students) and Nicholas a. Ferri Middle (720 students) alongside Thornton 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 School compares
Thornton School on the metrics families compare, against Rhode Island and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Rhode Island | Rhode Island avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 18% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.3% | ▲ 24% | 39.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 340 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
340
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Rhode Island average of 39.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 21% in Rhode Island - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.2%
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
$19,162
per pupil, district-wide
- below Rhode Island avg of $20,315
Somewhat 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
15
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 46.2%
White 37.9%
African American 8.8%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.3, Thornton School is more mixed than the Rhode Island school average of 47.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston, which includes Thornton School.
$19,162
Per student
-6%
vs Rhode Island
Avg $20,315
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.0%
State 33.5%
Federal 10.5%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nicholas a. Ferri Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Winsor Hill School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sarah Dyer Barnes School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brown Avenue School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornton School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 826
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 251
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Johnston
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Winsor Hill School
Standard public school
380 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Sarah Dyer Barnes School
Standard public school
266 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Brown Avenue School
Standard public school
251 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Early Childhood Center
Standard public school
201 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Rhode Island, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~340 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornton School's federal record.
- Compare Thornton School against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston'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 School
How many students attend Thornton School?
Thornton School has 340 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Johnston, RI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornton School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornton School is 11.3:1, which is 18% lower than the Rhode Island average of 13.8:1 and 28% 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 School?
49.3% of students at Thornton School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Rhode Island average of 39.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornton School?
The largest demographic group at Thornton School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment, in Johnston, RI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornton School?
Thornton School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 School rank among elementary schools in Johnston?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornton School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Johnston, RI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Johnston on the city page.
Is Thornton School a good school?
Thornton School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of Rhode Island 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 Johnston?
Besides Thornton School, Johnston also operates Johnston Senior High (826 students), Nicholas a. Ferri Middle (720 students), and Winsor Hill School (380 students). See the Johnston 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.