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Thompson Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

626^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Thompson Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Gadsden, AL, serving 288 students within the Gadsden City district. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 81% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Thompson is currently facing significant academic challenges. The school ranks in the 9th percentile statewide (0 stars), a decline from the previous year, and proficiency rates in both math and English are well below district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, only about 14% of 3rd graders are proficient in math, compared to 85% at Eura Brown Elementary, just 5.5 miles away. Even Mitchell Elementary, which serves a similar demographic, has significantly higher scores. One bright spot is 5th grade English, where 53% of students are proficient—close to the district average—suggesting an effective approach that could be replicated in other grades.

The most pressing issue at Thompson is a chronic absenteeism crisis. With a rate of 27.8%, more than a quarter of students are chronically absent—more than double the district rate and far higher than nearby schools like Eura Brown (3.3%) and Donehoo Elementary (6.4%). This is likely a major factor in the school's low performance. Notably, Thompson spends more per student ($11,365) than higher-performing peers, indicating that funding alone isn't the solution. The school's student-teacher ratio of 20.2 is also higher than most nearby schools, meaning larger class sizes. For parents considering this school, the combination of high absenteeism, high poverty, and declining academic performance are critical factors to weigh, though the success in 5th grade English shows there is internal expertise to build upon.

288

Students ?

20.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,365

Per pupil spending ?

81.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

236 Goldenrod Ave
Gadsden, AL 35901-1810

(256) 546-7011

District: Gadsden City

Students who attend Thompson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Gadsden Middle School
High:	Gadsden City High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.2%

White:

17.4%

Hispanic:

13.9%

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Compare Thompson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 14th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (26% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 12% Alabama)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg44%

Alabama avg53%

626^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 14% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Gadsden City

91^st of 140Gadsden City among Alabama 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	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	11.8	626 of 686	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.5	572 of 680	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	510 of 684	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	549 of 680	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.6	532 of 687	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	565 of 692	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	518 of 681	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	567 of 680	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.8	602 of 688	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	16.6	595 of 691	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	35.8	461 of 691	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	22.0	568 of 695	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.7	550 of 696	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	11.1	667 of 696	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	20.4	638 of 709	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	4.2	698 of 704	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	19.0	637 of 696	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	9.7	680 of 698	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	35.0	525 of 698	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	8.7	679 of 689	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	8.8	676 of 688	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	46.0	362 of 623	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	18.2	394 of 428	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	25.4	356 of 427	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.4	253 of 420	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.6	302 of 427	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.4	247 of 426	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.1	234 of 426	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.6	265 of 426	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.3	274 of 423	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	589 of 651	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.0	640 of 649	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.6	507 of 650	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.6	519 of 645	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	531 of 656	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.5	565 of 656	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	516 of 646	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	519 of 640	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.0	549 of 639	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	15.1	610 of 667	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	24.8	528 of 660	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.2	486 of 670	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	439 of 623	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	489 of 651	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.0	464 of 653	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.1	425 of 649	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.9	489 of 651	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	606 of 659	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	24.2	492 of 651	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	479 of 655	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	542 of 649	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.4	497 of 669	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.6	492 of 669	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.1	477 of 650	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	526 of 650	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.8	567 of 639	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile~ school

Male (2026)8th percentile~ school

African American (2026)8th percentile~ school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English40%-25 vs state

Science22%-28 vs state

Mathematics13%-29 vs state

4.3

4 ratings

5★2

4★1

3★1

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Thompson Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)				Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2025)	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	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thompson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	236 Goldenrod Ave	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-7011	288	14	20.2	81.3%	50 (17.4%)	179 (62.2%)	40 (13.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	15 (5.2%)	11.8	626^th of 686 public elementary schools	8.7%		16.5	572^nd of 680 public elementary schools	15.9%	54	14.0	4.9	20.0		22.0	34.9	31.7	53.3		$11,365	$3,097	$8,253
Adams Elementary School	Public	K-5	919 Raley St	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 492-4952	433	23	18.6	90.8%	61 (14.1%)	196 (45.3%)	160 (37.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	11.7	627^th of 686 public elementary schools	8.6%		9.7	641^st of 680 public elementary schools	5.7%	14	11.0	14.9	21.4		28.4	33.7	34.3	39.3		$9,435	$2,672	$6,747
Mitchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Noccalula Rd	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 546-2711	262	18	14.8	59.2%	163 (62.2%)	50 (19.1%)	26 (9.9%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.6%)	70.9	190^th of 686 public elementary schools	72.3%		71.4	184^th of 680 public elementary schools	72.9%	6	47.7	58.5	37.5		58.5	75.0	70.7	84.4		$8,237	$807	$7,413
Therapeutic Academic Program	Public	1-5	201 College St	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 549-2961																			(n/a)
Donehoo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 E Broad St	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-3604	225	12	18.3	73.3%	20 (8.9%)	158 (70.2%)	40 (17.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	65.1	237^th of 686 public elementary schools	65.5%		50.7	349^th of 680 public elementary schools	48.7%	112	60.0	50.0	48.5		39.3	85.7	60.7	69.7		$11,244	$2,746	$8,483
Highland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3156 Tabor Rd	Gadsden	35904	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-7409	216	12	18.0	53.7%	185 (85.6%)	7 (3.2%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.9%)	27.3	506^th of 686 public elementary schools	26.2%		40.7	419^th of 680 public elementary schools	38.4%	87	27.8	0.0	16.1	15.4	45.5	61.1	40.9	54.8	53.9	$10,660	$1,779	$8,880
Gaston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4550 US Highway 411	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 622-1073	290	18	15.9	67.6%	246 (84.8%)	14 (4.8%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	20 (6.9%)	54.4	324^th of 686 public elementary schools	52.8%		54.5	320^th of 680 public elementary schools	52.9%	4	74.2	29.4	20.9	31.3	55.9	77.4	44.1	72.1	62.5	$7,023	$864	$6,158
W E Striplin Elementary School	Public	K-5	600 Cleveland Ave	Gadsden	35901	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-8616	400	20	19.7	84.8%	37 (9.3%)	222 (55.5%)	122 (30.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.8%)	32.5	475^th of 686 public elementary schools	30.8%		21.4	532^nd of 680 public elementary schools	21.8%	57	41.5	41.5	15.5		40.0	45.1	40.0	63.2		$9,349	$2,460	$6,872
Floyd Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Black Creek Rd	Gadsden	35904	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-0836	384	16	23.8	82.0%	71 (18.5%)	164 (42.7%)	129 (33.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)	9.5	644^th of 686 public elementary schools	6.1%		10.7	631^st of 680 public elementary schools	7.2%	13	20.3	9.8	7.8		21.6	44.9	23.5	40.6		$9,258	$2,678	$6,563
Walnut Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 Walnut St	Gadsden	35904	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-4665	218	13	16.4	78.9%	116 (53.2%)	55 (25.2%)	41 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	44.2	403^rd of 686 public elementary schools	41.3%		39.5	426^th of 680 public elementary schools	37.4%	23	11.6	44.0	26.9		56.0	41.9	72.0	69.2		$11,169	$3,212	$7,941

Frequently Asked Questions about Thompson Elementary School

What district is Thompson Elementary School in?

Gadsden City

What is the racial makeup of Thompson Elementary School?

Students at Thompson Elementary School are 62% African American, 17% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Thompson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Thompson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gadsden Middle School
High : Gadsden City High School

Is Thompson Elementary School a good school?

Thompson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.7% of Alabama elementary schools.

How many students attend Thompson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 288 students attended Thompson Elementary School.

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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

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.