Enrollment
1,206
Wyoming · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gillette, WY
Thunder Basin High School
Federal NCES profile for Thunder Basin High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 560147000580
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thunder Basin High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Wyoming schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wyoming.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Gillette · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Wyoming
- 21.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thunder Basin High School has class sizes larger than 96% of Wyoming schools. Computed live against every Wyoming school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Basin High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Gillette, WY.
School address
District: Campbell County School District #1 · Wyoming
NCES ID 560147000580 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 11.4:1 Wyoming avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.8%
vs 27.4% Wyoming avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thunder Basin High School compares with Wyoming and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thunder Basin High School
Thunder Basin High School is a large high school in Gillette, Wyoming, enrolling 1,206 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Wyoming schools and 45% above the 11.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.8% lands close to the Wyoming typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wyoming, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,206 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 347 Wyoming schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Campbell County School District #1 spends $17,006 per pupil, 24% below the Wyoming average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 281 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,206 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gillette's high schools, it stands alongside Campbell County High School (1,212 students): Thunder Basin High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 16.2:1).
Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students) and Twin Spruce Junior High School (667 students) alongside Thunder Basin High 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 Thunder Basin High School compares
Thunder Basin High School on the metrics families compare, against Wyoming and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wyoming | Wyoming avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 45% | 11.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.8% | ▼ 20% | 27.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,206 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,206
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Wyoming average of 27.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 96% in Wyoming - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.4%
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
$17,006
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wyoming avg of $22,313
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
247
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 expulsions.
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 83.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 1.4%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 83.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.8, Thunder Basin High School is less mixed than the Wyoming school average of 33.2.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Campbell County School District #1, which includes Thunder Basin High School.
$17,006
Per student
-24%
vs Wyoming
Avg $22,313
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 32.6%
Federal 9.4%
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 Thunder Basin High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Twin Spruce Junior High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sage Valley Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stocktrail Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Ridge Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thunder Basin High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Gillette
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wyoming, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,206 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thunder Basin High School's federal record.
- Compare Thunder Basin High School against another school. Compare schools
- Campbell County School District #1'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 Thunder Basin High School
How many students attend Thunder Basin High School?
Thunder Basin High School has 1,206 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gillette, WY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunder Basin High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thunder Basin High School is 16.5:1, which is 45% higher than the Wyoming average of 11.4:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thunder Basin High School?
21.8% of students at Thunder Basin High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wyoming average of 27.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thunder Basin High School?
The largest demographic group at Thunder Basin High School is White at 83.5% of enrollment, in Gillette, WY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thunder Basin High School?
Thunder Basin High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thunder Basin High School rank among high schools in Gillette?
By Resource Investment Index, Thunder Basin High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Gillette, WY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Gillette on the city page.
Is Thunder Basin High School a good school?
Thunder Basin High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Wyoming schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wyoming. 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 Campbell County School District #1?
Besides Thunder Basin High School, Campbell County School District #1 also operates Campbell County High School (1,212 students), Twin Spruce Junior High School (667 students), and Sage Valley Junior High School (589 students). See the Campbell County School District #1 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.