Thorson Elementary

Summary:

Thorson Elementary is a top-performing public elementary school in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, serving 548 students in grades PK-5. As part of the highly-ranked Cedarburg School District, Thorson Elementary has consistently been one of the best elementary schools in the state, ranking 17th out of 1,061 Wisconsin elementary schools in the 2023-2024 school year and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thorson Elementary's academic performance is exceptional, with students significantly outperforming state averages in core subjects like English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 82.61% of 3rd-grade students, 79.07% of 4th-grade students, and 91.49% of 5th-grade students scored proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 52.07%, 53.42%, and 53.75%, respectively. The school's strong performance extends across various student subgroups, including female, male, white, and students with special education needs.

Thorson Elementary's success is further highlighted by its low chronic absenteeism rate, which has ranged from 1.7% to 7.2% in recent years, significantly lower than the state average. Additionally, the school's spending per student has been relatively consistent, ranging from $9,866 to $10,410 in recent years. Compared to nearby schools, such as those in the Port Washington-Saukville School District, Thorson Elementary's academic performance and student demographics are notably stronger, with a lower percentage of students from low-income families and a relatively low student-teacher ratio.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 W51N932 Keup Rd
       Cedarburg, WI  53012-1698


(262) 376-6700

District: Cedarburg School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
17th of 1,061 Wisconsin Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,410 Help


Students who attend Thorson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Webster Middle
High:    Cedarburg High

Student/teacher ratio:  15.6 Help
Number of students:  552

Racial breakdown:

White:
93.5%
Two or more races:
2.0%
Hispanic:
1.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  8.2% Help


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 Compare Thorson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Thorson Elementary ranks better than 98.4% of elementary schools in Wisconsin. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Cedarburg School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.58. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Thorson Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cedarburg School District. Racial makeup is: White (93.5%), two or more races (2%), Hispanic (1.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 8.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thorson Elementary is 15.6. 2 elementary schools in the Cedarburg School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Thorson Elementary employs 35.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thorson Elementary is $10,410, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Cedarburg School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thorson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thorson Elementary 17th of 1061 Wisconsin public elementary schools. (See Thorson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Cedarburg School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cedarburg School District 3rd of 428 Wisconsin school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Thorson Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 85.12 36th 633 94.3%
2005 84.41 29th 632 95.4%
2006 85.25 42nd 712 94.1%
2007 90.08 5th 689 99.3%
2008 84.45 27th 1021 97.4%
2009 86.46 17th 1030 98.3%
2010 84.27 40th 1045 96.2%
2011 82.16 60th 1046 94.3%
2012 80.28 66th 1045 93.7%
2013 89.59 24th 1053 97.7%
2014 91.50 7th 1061 99.3%
2015 90.65 11th 1076 99.0%
2016 92.47 21st 1075 98.0%
2017 89.91 43rd 1071 96.0%
2018 88.26 52nd 1025 94.9%
2019 85.79 71st 1037 93.2%
2021 95.27 15th 1050 98.6%
2022 92.42 22nd 1067 97.9%
2023 91.64 30th 1067 97.2%
2024 92.58 17th 1061 98.4%
See the entire list of Wisconsin Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.82 113th 721 84.3%
2019 89.46 24th 742 96.8%
2021 88.03 34th 746 95.4%
2022 75.53 101st 748 86.5%
2023 80.69 69th 770 91.0%
2024 90.68 37th 790 95.3%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.79 403rd 854 52.8%
2019 40.71 555th 874 36.5%
2023 90.47 25th 871 97.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.39 105th 997 89.5%
2019 83.66 85th 1002 91.5%
2021 95.90 8th 1004 99.2%
2022 93.45 16th 1017 98.4%
2023 92.22 26th 1010 97.4%
2024 89.25 38th 1011 96.2%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 90.62 28th 997 97.2%
2019 85.41 72nd 1002 92.8%
2021 92.59 22nd 1003 97.8%
2022 89.07 37th 1017 96.4%
2023 89.37 39th 1011 96.1%
2024 93.63 8th 1012 99.2%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Thorson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools WI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.64 37th 686 94.6%
2023 82.39 76th 715 89.4%
2024 88.71 28th 727 96.1%
See the entire list of Best Wisconsin Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Thorson Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, May 5, 2017

Open Quote Great school! Have had 3 children go through, and they've had an amazing experience. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Thorson Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 440 1 1 1 n/a n/a n/a 0 443
1989 453 n/a n/a 3 n/a n/a n/a 0 456
1990 411 2 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 415
1991 384 2 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 390
1992 378 2 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 383
1993 375 1 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 380
1994 418 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 420
1995 428 2 1 3 1 n/a n/a 0 435
1996 428 2 1 3 1 n/a n/a 0 435
1997 435 1 2 5 0 n/a n/a 0 443
1998 467 2 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 477
1999 467 2 2 6 1 n/a n/a 0 478
2000 457 3 1 5 0 n/a n/a 0 466
2001 473 2 1 5 0 n/a n/a 0 481
2002 436 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2003 436 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 440
2004 448 0 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 454
2005 466 0 2 5 0 n/a n/a 0 473
2006 478 3 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 490
2007 477 5 7 6 1 n/a n/a 0 496
2008 498 4 10 6 0 n/a n/a 0 518
2009 476 2 10 3 1 n/a n/a 0 492
2010 471 2 10 3 1 n/a n/a 0 487
2011 428 2 9 6 0 1 8 0 454
2012 411 1 8 2 0 1 8 0 431
2013 397 0 10 6 0 0 7 0 420
2014 384 2 7 9 0 0 9 0 411
2015 381 3 7 11 0 0 13 0 415
2016 358 4 7 9 1 0 10 0 389
2017 438 6 8 10 1 0 10 0 473
2018 452 5 10 10 0 0 12 0 489
2019 482 7 7 13 0 1 11 0 521
2020 499 6 8 8 0 1 8 0 530
2021 515 2 9 8 0 2 9 0 545
2022 542 1 7 10 0 2 8 0 570
2023 519 3 6 9 0 2 9 0 548
2024 516 6 7 10 0 2 11 0 552

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thorson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 443 25.0 17.7 1.6
1989 456 24.0 19.0 2.4
1990 415 21.5 19.3 0.7
1991 390 21.0 18.5 1.8
1992 383 24.4 15.6 1.8
1993 380 23.6 16.1 2.1
1994 420 23.8 17.6 1.9
1995 435 24.5 17.8 1.1
1996 435 24.5 17.8 1.1
1997 443 23.7 18.7 1.1
1998 477 24.7 19.3 1.3
1999 478 27.2 17.6 2.7
2000 466 28.2 16.5 2.1
2001 481 27.2 17.7 1.9
2002 440 26.2 16.8 1.4
2003 440 26.2 16.8 1.4
2004 454 26.5 17.1 1.8
2005 473 27.0 17.5 n/a
2006 490 27.0 18.1 n/a
2007 496 27.0 18.4 1.6
2008 518 29.0 17.9 2.3
2009 492 28.6 17.2 2.4
2010 487 26.1 18.6 5.1
2011 454 27.9 16.2 5.9
2012 431 24.3 17.7 6.5
2013 420 26.5 15.8 6.2
2014 411 25.0 16.4 6.8
2015 415 n/a n/a 7.2
2016 389 25.0 15.5 4.4
2017 473 27.7 17.0 4.7
2018 489 28.2 17.3 3.1
2019 521 30.2 17.2 4
2020 530 33.1 15.9 3.8
2021 545 34.4 15.8 3.5
2022 570 35.6 15.9 4.6
2023 548 35.5 15.4 5.5
2024 552 35.1 15.6 8.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Thorson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 443 25.0 17.7 1.6
1989 456 24.0 19.0 2.4
1990 415 21.5 19.3 0.7
1991 390 21.0 18.5 1.8
1992 383 24.4 15.6 1.8
1993 380 23.6 16.1 2.1
1994 420 23.8 17.6 1.9
1995 435 24.5 17.8 1.1
1996 435 24.5 17.8 1.1
1997 443 23.7 18.7 1.1
1998 477 24.7 19.3 1.3
1999 478 27.2 17.6 2.7
2000 466 28.2 16.5 2.1
2001 481 27.2 17.7 1.9
2002 440 26.2 16.8 1.4
2003 440 26.2 16.8 1.4
2004 454 26.5 17.1 1.8
2005 473 27.0 17.5 n/a
2006 490 27.0 18.1 n/a
2007 496 27.0 18.4 1.6
2008 518 29.0 17.9 2.3
2009 492 28.6 17.2 2.4
2010 487 26.1 18.6 5.1
2011 454 27.9 16.2 5.9
2012 431 24.3 17.7 6.5
2013 420 26.5 15.8 6.2
2014 411 25.0 16.4 6.8
2015 415 n/a n/a 7.2
2016 389 25.0 15.5 4.4
2017 473 27.7 17.0 4.7
2018 489 28.2 17.3 3.1
2019 521 30.2 17.2 4
2020 530 33.1 15.9 3.8
2021 545 34.4 15.8 3.5
2022 570 35.6 15.9 4.6
2023 548 35.5 15.4 5.5
2024 552 35.1 15.6 8.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thorson Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $133 (1.3%) $9,733 (98.7%) $9,866
2020 $407 (4.0%) $9,747 (96.0%) $10,155
2021 $589 (5.7%) $9,821 (94.3%) $10,410

Data source: Wisconsin Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thorson Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 71st of 1037 Elementary schoolsRanks 30th of 1067 Elementary schools
 4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thorson Elementary)57.670.9
 13.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cedarburg School District)71.473.4
 2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)39.537.9
 1.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Thorson Elementary)67.873.4
 5.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Cedarburg School District)80.680.2
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)50.548.8
 1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Thorson Elementary)67.172.2
 5.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Cedarburg School District)65.679.1
 13.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)43.945.8
 1.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Thorson Elementary)71.481.1
 9.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Cedarburg School District)76.482.3
 5.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)46.246.5
 0.2%
4th Grade Social Studies (Thorson Elementary)8085.6
 5.6%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Cedarburg School District)75.487.9
 12.5%
   4th Grade Social Studies (Wisconsin)53.459.7
 6.4%
4th Grade Science (Thorson Elementary)75.771.1
 4.6%
   4th Grade Science (Cedarburg School District)74.476.7
 2.4%
   4th Grade Science (Wisconsin)53.952.1
 1.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Thorson Elementary)65.467.4
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Cedarburg School District)66.872.7
 5.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wisconsin)40.939.2
 1.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Thorson Elementary)61.581.5
 20%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Cedarburg School District)66.383.4
 17.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wisconsin)47.848.4
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students521548
 5.2%
African American73
 57.1%
American Indian00
Asian76
 14.3%
Hispanic139
 30.8%
Pacific Islander12
 100%
White482519
 7.7%
Two or More Races119
 18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients4%5.5%
 1.4%


Schools Near Thorson Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Thorson Elementary

Students who attend Thorson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Webster Middle
High : Cedarburg High

Students at Thorson Elementary are 93% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% African American.

In the 2023-24 school year, 552 students attended Thorson Elementary.

Yes! Thorson Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 17th of 1061 Wisconsin elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

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.





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