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Thornton Elementary

Q: Is Thornton Elementary a good school?

Thornton Elementary ranks 3415 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

3415^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Thornton Elementary is a PK-5 public school in San Antonio, TX, serving 573 students within the Northside Independent School District (Isd), where a majority of students (57%) qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has experienced a significant decline in overall performance over the past decade, dropping from a peak in the 60th percentile (2016-2017) to its lowest point in the 26th percentile (2025-2026), earning a 1-star rating. This downward trend is a key concern, especially when compared to nearby schools like Leon Valley Elementary (52nd percentile) and Wanke Elementary (61st percentile), which are performing significantly better and showing more stability.

One of the most striking findings is that Thornton Elementary operates like two distinct schools under one roof. Its Gifted and Talented (GT) program is exceptional, ranking in the 97th percentile statewide (5 stars) in 2024-2025, making it a top-tier choice for GT students. However, the school is struggling to support its economically disadvantaged students, with Low SES students ranking in the 7th percentile (0 stars) in 2025-2026—a catastrophic drop from the 43rd percentile just two years prior. This extreme disparity suggests that resources and effective teaching strategies may be concentrated in the GT program, leaving the general and at-risk populations underserved. The school’s overall rank is being dragged down by the poor performance of its majority population.

Academically, Thornton’s math scores are a major weakness, consistently 10-15 percentage points below the district average and 15-20 points below the state average. In contrast, reading scores have shown some relative strength, with 3rd-grade reading (51.43% in 2023-2024) actually exceeding the district and state averages. Science scores are also persistently poor, with only 17.86% of 5th graders proficient in 2024-2025. Interestingly, Thornton’s per-student spending ($11,210) is higher than several higher-performing nearby schools like Scobee Elementary ($10,097) and Wanke Elementary ($9,417), indicating that the issue is not a lack of funding but rather how funds are allocated. For families considering options, Somerset Academy Oaks (0.6 miles away) is outperforming Thornton significantly (57th percentile) despite a similar percentage of low-income students, while Basis San Antonio Pri- Medical Center Campus (1.85 miles away) is an academic powerhouse ranking in the 96th percentile.

573

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,742

Per pupil spending ?

57.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6450 Pembroke
San Antonio, TX 78240-2585

(210) 397-3950

District: Northside Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Thornton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rudder Middle
High:	Marshall High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.6%

Asian:

17.3%

White:

15.9%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Thornton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (39% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg49%

Texas avg51%

3,415^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 43% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

61^st of 83Elementary Schools in the Northside Independent School District (Isd)

475^th of 951Northside Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	3415 of 4627	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	37.0	2991 of 4651	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.5	2619 of 4710	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.0	2660 of 4647	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.6	3625 of 4581	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.2	2877 of 4578	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	2145 of 4479	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	1811 of 4359	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.3	1746 of 4329	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	46.6	2461 of 4286	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.6	2407 of 4320	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	61.3	1680 of 4260	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.7	1624 of 4221	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.7	993 of 4206	76.4%	★★★★☆
2011	67.5	1346 of 4095	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.0	1516 of 3937	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	81.7	393 of 3884	89.9%	★★★★☆
2008	85.2	211 of 3768	94.4%	★★★★★
2007	79.0	494 of 3724	86.7%	★★★★☆
2006	67.9	1136 of 3476	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.0	998 of 3475	71.3%	★★★★☆
2004	65.0	1227 of 3465	64.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.7	2058 of 2406	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.6	1629 of 1905	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	1644 of 2443	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	1664 of 2421	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.1	1718 of 2444	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.9	1523 of 2515	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.0	773 of 2483	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	3.3	970 of 999	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.5	754 of 814	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.6	994 of 1045	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	920 of 1015	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	905 of 957	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.5	961 of 967	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.6	920 of 1009	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.7	823 of 1005	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	26.5	3706 of 4461	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.3	2543 of 4331	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.4	2646 of 4295	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.3	2631 of 4240	37.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	1786 of 2918	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.1	2214 of 3668	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	2026 of 3556	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.5	3089 of 3487	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.3	1849 of 3446	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.3	2437 of 3333	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.3	1427 of 3226	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	3154 of 4575	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.8	1567 of 3744	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.7	2624 of 4658	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.2	2071 of 4588	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.0	3164 of 4561	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	59.6	1526 of 4499	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.1	1547 of 4348	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	1627 of 4306	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	876 of 3075	71.5%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	78 of 2619	97.0%	★★★★★
2023	70.8	754 of 2980	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	52.2	1765 of 2958	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.3	1778 of 3006	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.4	1602 of 3184	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.7	1666 of 3106	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	42.7	2584 of 4413	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.7	1539 of 3644	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	1552 of 4465	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.0	2349 of 4401	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.6	3719 of 4376	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.5	2679 of 4329	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.9	1921 of 4188	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	1938 of 4168	53.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	4184 of 4520	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	33.2	2739 of 3705	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.9	2641 of 4594	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	3256 of 4521	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	4187 of 4477	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	3404 of 4451	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.6	2311 of 4309	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.4	2013 of 4264	52.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.1	3447 of 4582	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.8	2343 of 3739	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	1628 of 4647	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.6	2981 of 4585	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.2	3798 of 4563	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.6	3764 of 4498	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	2797 of 4357	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.8	2059 of 4319	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	21.2	979 of 1106	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	936 of 1004	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	56.6	479 of 1112	56.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.1	2242 of 4301	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.3	1142 of 3549	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.0	2779 of 4292	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.4	3312 of 4086	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.1	2722 of 3952	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.7	2587 of 3799	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.7	1432 of 3684	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	698 of 3558	80.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	2132 of 3006	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	40.4	1698 of 2612	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	1969 of 3108	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	2130 of 3106	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.6	2440 of 3082	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.1	2257 of 3082	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.9	1911 of 3142	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.7	1365 of 3127	56.3%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2026)72nd percentile+45 vs school

Special Education (2026)48th percentile+22 vs school

Hispanic (2026)41st percentile+15 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)39th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)25th percentile~ school

At Risk (2022)17th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)14th percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)11th percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)7th percentile-19 vs school

Asian (2026)3rd percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading44%-10 vs state

Mathematics34%-13 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Horrible admin, staff, and faculty. Rude, disrespectful, and unprofessional. Close Quote

Schools Near Thornton Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2026)			STAAR Reading (2026)				STAAR Mathematics (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	Total
Thornton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6450 Pembroke	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(210) 397-3950	573	43	13.3	57.1%	91 (15.9%)	37 (6.5%)	290 (50.6%)	99 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (9.6%)	30.2	3415^th of 4627 public elementary schools	26.2%		37	2991^st of 4651 public elementary schools	35.7%	424							44.0	45.2	43.0		29.0	33.3	41.8		$11,742
Somerset Academy Oaks	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	6070 Babcock Rd	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Somerset Academies Of Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 627-6013	199	15	13.4	59.3%	29 (14.6%)	30 (15.1%)	92 (46.2%)	41 (20.6%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.5%)	52.6	1978^th of 4627 public elementary schools	57.3%		57.4	1698^th of 4651 public elementary schools	63.5%	280							75.0	58.3	55.9	55.2	62.5	30.6	29.4	31.0	$14,198
Boone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6614 Springtime Dr	San Antonio	78249	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 397-1450	458	39	11.7	65.9%	57 (12.4%)	26 (5.7%)	336 (73.4%)	16 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.6%)	31	3373^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	27.1%		29.5	3466^th of 4651 public elementary schools	25.5%	93							34.0	41.7	54.1		30.8	25.8	45.3		$12,811
Carnahan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6839 Babcock Rd	San Antonio	78249	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 397-5850	528	47	11.2	71.8%	93 (17.6%)	39 (7.4%)	249 (47.2%)	85 (16.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.6%)	57	1762^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	61.9%		23.4	3828^th of 4651 public elementary schools	17.7%	2066							59.4	56.1	50.7		44.9	61.4	43.7		$11,763
McDermott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5111 Usaa Blvd	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 397-5100	775	52	14.9	72.6%	56 (7.2%)	78 (10.1%)	371 (47.9%)	166 (21.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	102 (13.2%)	8.7	4527^th of 4627 public elementary schools	2.2%		9	4510^th of 4651 public elementary schools	3.0%	17	11.1		22.2	0.0		16.7	18.9	22.6	30.8		26.6	27.5	16.2		$10,297
Basis San Antonio Pri- Medical Center Campus	Public, Charter	K-5	8519 Floyd Curl Dr	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Basis Texas	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(210) 319-5525	799	41	19.7		96 (12.0%)	46 (5.8%)	163 (20.4%)	457 (57.2%)	13 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	23 (2.9%)	95.2	162^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	96.5%		96.3	133^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	97.1%	29							79.2	80.6	86.6		72.8	70.5	84.3		$8,322
Rhodes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5714 N Knoll	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 397-4000	492	34	14.5	70.9%	51 (10.4%)	56 (11.4%)	342 (69.5%)	18 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.1%)	13.5	4367^th of 4627 public elementary schools	5.6%		16.9	4185^th of 4651 public elementary schools	10.0%	182							24.0	29.2	41.9		14.9	28.1	33.8		$12,473
Scobee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11223 Cedar Park	San Antonio	78249	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(210) 397-0700	470	35	13.4	47.7%	106 (22.6%)	8 (1.7%)	325 (69.1%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.2%)	43.1	2507^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.8%		55.6	1800^th of 4651 public elementary schools	61.3%	707							66.7	46.4	55.2		48.2	33.7	33.3		$11,673
Wanke Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10419 Old Prue Rd	San Antonio	78249	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(210) 397-6700	590	45	13.1	49.5%	87 (14.7%)	20 (3.4%)	449 (76.1%)	13 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.4%)	56.4	1790^th of 4627 public elementary schools	61.3%		50.3	2129^th of 4651 public elementary schools	54.2%	339	50.0	42.9	12.5	50.0	11.1	12.5	51.7	60.5	55.0		38.3	66.2	42.9		$10,817
Leon Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7111 Huebner Rd	San Antonio	78240	Bexar County	Northside Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(210) 397-4650	613	46	13.2	71.6%	32 (5.2%)	19 (3.1%)	550 (89.7%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.3%)	48	2217^th of 4627 public elementary schools	52.1%		49.6	2163^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	53.5%	54	36.4	53.1	13.3	36.8	39.4	18.8	41.5	58.3	62.1		32.0	42.9	45.6		$12,211

Frequently Asked Questions about Thornton Elementary

Is Thornton Elementary a good school?

Thornton Elementary ranks 3415^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Thornton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thornton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Rudder Middle
High : Marshall High School

How many students attend Thornton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 573 students attended Thornton Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Thornton Elementary?

Students at Thornton Elementary are 51% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 16% White, 10% Two or more races, 6% African American.

What district is Thornton Elementary in?

Northside Independent School District (Isd)

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.