Enrollment
529
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedarburg, WI
Thorson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Thorson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550246000272
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thorson Elementary earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Cedarburg · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 4.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Thorson Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thorson Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Cedarburg, WI.
School address
District: Cedarburg School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550246000272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.2%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thorson Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thorson Elementary
Thorson Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, enrolling 529 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.2% free-meal eligibility runs 89% below the Wisconsin average.
Enrollment of 529 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,202 Wisconsin schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 194 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cedarburg's public schools, it stands alongside Parkview Elementary (504 students): Thorson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 16.3:1).
Cedarburg School District also operates Cedarburg High (1,073 students) and Webster Middle (692 students) alongside Thorson Elementary.
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 Thorson Elementary compares
Thorson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.2% | ▼ 89% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 529 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
529
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 89% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 73% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,586
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
White 92.4%
Two or More 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 92.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.4, Thorson Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedarburg School District, which includes Thorson Elementary.
$12,586
Per student
-16%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 37.2%
Federal 8.6%
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 Thorson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedarburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westlawn Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Learning Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Thorson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 13
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Cedarburg
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~529 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thorson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Thorson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cedarburg School District'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 Thorson Elementary
How many students attend Thorson Elementary?
Thorson Elementary has 529 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedarburg, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thorson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thorson Elementary is 15.1:1, which is 5% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thorson Elementary?
4.2% of students at Thorson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thorson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thorson Elementary is White at 92.4% of enrollment, in Cedarburg, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thorson Elementary?
Thorson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher 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 Thorson Elementary rank among schools in Cedarburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Thorson Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Cedarburg, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedarburg on the city page.
Is Thorson Elementary a good school?
Thorson Elementary earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Wisconsin 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 Cedarburg School District?
Besides Thorson Elementary, Cedarburg School District also operates Cedarburg High (1,073 students), Webster Middle (692 students), and Parkview Elementary (504 students). See the Cedarburg School District 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.