Thornton High School

9351 Washington Street
Denver, CO 80229
(School attendance zone shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%
Serving 1,485 students in grades 9-12, Thornton High School ranks in the bottom 50% of all schools in Colorado for overall test scores (math proficiency is bottom 50%, and reading proficiency is bottom 50%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 6% (which is lower than the Colorado state average of 33%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 28% (which is lower than the Colorado state average of 47%).
The student:teacher ratio of 20:1 is higher than the Colorado state level of 15:1.
Minority enrollment is 82% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is higher than the Colorado state average of 48% (majority Hispanic).

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Grades: 9-12
  • Enrollment: 1,485 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 82%
  • : 78% (Btm 50% in CO)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 6% (Btm 50%)
  • : 28% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

School Overview

Thornton High School's student population of 1,485 students has declined by 12% over five school years.
The teacher population of 74 teachers has declined by 17% over five school years.
Grades Offered
Grades 9-12
Total Students
1,485 students
This chart display total students of Thornton High School by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Gender %
This chart display gender of Thornton High School
Total Classroom Teachers
74 teachers
This chart display the total teachers of Thornton High School by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Students by Grade
This chart display the students of Thornton High School by grade.

School Rankings

Thornton High School ranks within the bottom 50% of all 1,734 schools in Colorado (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data).
The diversity score of Thornton High School is 0.45, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.61. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School
State Level (CO)
#1554 out of 1734 schools
(Bottom 50%)
This chart display the overall school rank of Thornton High School, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
6%
33%
This chart display the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Thornton High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in Colorado by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
28%
47%
This chart display the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Thornton High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Colorado by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
20:1
15:1
This chart display the student teacher ratio of Thornton High School and the public school average student teacher ratio of Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
American Indian
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian students in Thornton High School and percentage of American Indian public school students in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Asian
4%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Thornton High School and the percentage of Asian public school students in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Hispanic
72%
35%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Thornton High School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Black
3%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Thornton High School and the percentage of Black public school students in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
White
18%
52%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Thornton High School and the percentage of White public school students in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
Two or more races
2%
5%
This chart display the percentage of students of two or more races in Thornton High School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
All Ethnic Groups
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Thornton High School.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of public school students of all ethnic groups in CO.
0.45
This chart display the diversity score of Thornton High School and the public school average diversity score of Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
78%
81%
This chart display graduation rate of Thornton High School and public school graduation rate of Colorado by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Eligible for Free Lunch
52%
30%
This chart display the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Thornton High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
14%
6%
This chart display the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Thornton High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Colorado by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thornton High School's ranking?
Thornton High School is ranked #1554 out of 1,734 schools, which ranks it among the bottom 50% of public schools in Colorado.
What schools are Thornton High School often compared to?
Thornton High Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Northglenn High School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
6% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 33% CO state average), while 28% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 47% CO state average).
What is the graduation rate of Thornton High School?
The graduation rate of Thornton High School is 78%, which is lower than the Colorado state average of 81%.
How many students attend Thornton High School?
1,485 students attend Thornton High School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
72% of Thornton High School students are Hispanic, 18% of students are White, 4% of students are Asian, 3% of students are Black, 2% of students are Two or more races, and 1% of students are American Indian.
What is the student:teacher ratio of Thornton High School?
Thornton High School has a student ration of 20:1, which is higher than the Colorado state average of 15:1.
What grades does Thornton High School offer ?
Thornton High School offers enrollment in grades 9-12
What school district is Thornton High School part of?
Thornton High School is part of Adams 12 Five Star Schools School District.

School Calendar

View the Thornton High School yearly calendar below. Note key dates such as:

Event
Date
Seniors' Last Day
May 08, 2024 (Wednesday)
Last day of School
May 30, 2024 (Thursday)

School Reviews

5   7/8/2020
Good school! They take time with each student when they need it.
- Posted by Student/Alumni - Student
5   10/5/2018
Just want to say that I am doing perfectly fine at this school, I've gotten great grades and have not had so called problems with this "horrible" school. Drugs are all a factor of the community the school is surrounded by, there is a risk that students have more exposure to drugs by being in this type of area but you must realize this is at the student's decision. It is in no way the school's fault for the community's faults or flaws. Thornton is a great school and can be represented with the students that have graduated from it. We've had a student go to Brown and another go to MIT. Please realize that just because the community has its flaws does not mean the school does. Their courses are great and our school is not represented by those who are not as polite or by drugs.
- Posted by Student/Alumni - Student2110
2   3/19/2015
Where do I even begin, this school is so horrible. The students the go there are so rude and disrespectful, they have so many problems with drugs, attendance, fighting and much more. My son has been to 4 different high schools because we are constantly moving and when I told my co-workers that my son guys goes there they all tell me they have took there children out of that school, either because of drugs or the attendance. My son has been doing amazing his past three years of high school he is a junior now, he has never been suspended nor expelled but when he came to this school he started to smoke weed, I found out he was doing acid and cocaine, then he got suspended for missing class and I received a letter saying I would have to appear in court if his attendance continued. I immediately took him out and took him to drug classes and we moved out of Thornton and he no longer goes to Thornton High School and he has straight A's and B's and hasn't even 1 class. I just highly recommend if you want to keep your kid on the right path and out of trouble do not go to Thornton High.
- Posted by Parent - sbuc6

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Grades: 9-12
  • Enrollment: 1,485 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 82%
  • : 78% (Btm 50%)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 6% (Btm 50%)
  • : 28% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CO Dept. of Education

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