Enrollment
734
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Havasu City, AZ
Thunderbolt Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Thunderbolt Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040428000338
👥 S:T ratio 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thunderbolt Middle School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Arizona schools.
- #12 of 13
- public schools in Lake Havasu City · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.7:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 32.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thunderbolt Middle School has class sizes larger than 91% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thunderbolt Middle School ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
School address
District: Lake Havasu Unified District (4368) · Arizona
NCES ID 040428000338 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thunderbolt Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thunderbolt Middle School
Thunderbolt Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, enrolling 734 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.7:1 is larger than about 91% of Arizona schools and 39% above the 17:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 734 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,064 Arizona schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 268 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #237, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 367 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lake Havasu Unified District (4368) spends $8,219 per pupil, 37% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 175 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 734 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Lake Havasu Unified District (4368) also operates Lake Havasu High School (1,523 students) and Starline Elementary School (629 students) alongside Thunderbolt Middle 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 Thunderbolt Middle School compares
Thunderbolt Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.7:1 | ▲ 39% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.9% | ▼ 32% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 734 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.7:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
734
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.7:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 91% in Arizona - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
55.2%
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
$8,219
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 367 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.8 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 69.5%
Hispanic or Latino 25.2%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Thunderbolt Middle School is less mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Havasu Unified District (4368), which includes Thunderbolt Middle School.
$8,219
Per student
-37%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 29.1%
Federal 12.9%
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 Thunderbolt Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Starline Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smoketree Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jamaica Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oro Grande Classical Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thunderbolt Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,523
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 629
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~734 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thunderbolt Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Thunderbolt Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Havasu Unified District (4368)'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 Thunderbolt Middle School
How many students attend Thunderbolt Middle School?
Thunderbolt Middle School has 734 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunderbolt Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thunderbolt Middle School is 23.7:1, which is 39% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 51% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thunderbolt Middle School?
32.9% of students at Thunderbolt Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thunderbolt Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Thunderbolt Middle School is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Lake Havasu City, AZ.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thunderbolt Middle School?
Thunderbolt Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower 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 Thunderbolt Middle School rank among public schools in Lake Havasu City?
By Resource Investment Index, Thunderbolt Middle School ranks #12 of 13 public schools in Lake Havasu City, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lake Havasu City on the city page.
Is Thunderbolt Middle School a good school?
Thunderbolt Middle School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Arizona 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 Lake Havasu Unified District (4368)?
Besides Thunderbolt Middle School, Lake Havasu Unified District (4368) also operates Lake Havasu High School (1,523 students), Starline Elementary School (629 students), and Smoketree Elementary School (543 students). See the Lake Havasu Unified District (4368) 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.