Enrollment
459
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, MD
Thunder Hill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Thunder Hill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240042000757
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 26
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thunder Hill Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (38/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of Maryland schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 38/100
- 12.8:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 37.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 459
- students enrolled
Thunder Hill Elementary has class sizes smaller than 77% of Maryland schools — smaller than 77% of schools in Maryland. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thunder Hill Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Thunder Hill Elementary reports 459 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 37.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% below the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 37.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Maryland average and 27% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 459 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Howard County Public Schools spends $17,971 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $20,446 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 62.7% from local sources (property taxes), 29.5% from the state, and 7.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Thunder Hill Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.9% | ▼ 23% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 38% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
13 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 71% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
459 larger than 56% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
37.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 23% in Maryland — lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,971
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maryland avg of $20,446
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 459 Top 38% in Maryland — larger than 62% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 37.0
Students per teacher 12.8:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 37.9% -23% vs state
NCES ID 240042000757
Student demographics
African American 31.4%
White 23.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.2%
Asian 15.9%
Two or More 8.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 31.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 459:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Thunder Hill Elementary.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
Similar elementary schools in Columbia
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Thunder Hill Elementary side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Thunder Hill Elementary
How many students attend Thunder Hill Elementary?
Thunder Hill Elementary has 459 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunder Hill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thunder Hill Elementary is 12.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 18% 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 Thunder Hill Elementary?
37.9% of students at Thunder Hill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thunder Hill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thunder Hill Elementary is African American at 31.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Columbia, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thunder Hill Elementary?
Thunder Hill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Thunder Hill Elementary a good school?
Thunder Hill Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (38/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of Maryland schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.