Ponderosa Elementary

Q: Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 421 st of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ponderosa Elementary is a public elementary school in Loveland, Colorado, serving 364 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Thompson School District R-2j, which is ranked 46 out of 116 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Ponderosa Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, outpacing the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Math proficiency. However, the school lags behind in Science, with only 28.6% of 5th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 37.3% for the district and 37.9% for the state. Interestingly, Ponderosa Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of White students (78.85%) compared to nearby schools like Cottonwood Plains Elementary (46.37% White) and Laurene Edmondson Elementary (55.56% White), which have more diverse student populations.

Despite its academic strengths, Ponderosa Elementary's statewide ranking has declined over the years, dropping from 168 out of 965 Colorado elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 421 out of 943 in 2023-2024, with its rating decreasing from 4 stars to 3 stars. This suggests the school may be struggling to maintain its performance compared to others in the state. However, the school's strong support for its low-socioeconomic status students is a positive finding, with the school ranking 173 out of 365 Colorado elementary schools in 2023-2024 for this student group.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4550 Florence Drive
Loveland, CO 80538-5507

(970) 679-9500

District: Thompson School District R-2j

SchoolDigger Rank:
421^st of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,446

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lucile Erwin Middle School
High:	Loveland High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

Number of students: 364

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.8%

Hispanic:

17.9%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ponderosa Elementary ranks better than 55.4% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 10^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Thompson School District R-2j. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.46. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Ponderosa Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Thompson School District R-2j. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ponderosa Elementary is $16,446, which is the 7^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Thompson School District R-2j.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ponderosa Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ponderosa Elementary 421^st of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Ponderosa Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Thompson School District R-2j:

SchoolDigger ranks Thompson School District R-2j 46^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ponderosa Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2011	59.29	416^th	935	55.5%
2012	65.98	339^th	935	63.7%
2013	72.63	253^rd	954	73.5%
2014	77.02	207^th	962	78.5%
2015	73.50	214^th	938	77.2%
2016	49.18	426^th	914	53.4%
2017	69.19	253^rd	929	72.8%
2018	70.96	232^nd	917	74.7%
2019	79.90	168^th	965	82.6%
2021	52.52	360^th	710	49.3%
2022	50.19	429^th	921	53.4%
2023	55.65	384^th	933	58.8%
2024	53.46	421^st	943	55.4%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	74.49	38^th	308	87.7%
2019	79.21	32^nd	332	90.4%
2024	49.22	173^rd	365	52.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	69.51	181^st	690	73.8%
2019	81.13	111^th	758	85.4%
2022	35.76	376^th	595	36.8%
2023	44.92	336^th	642	47.7%
2024	50.50	320^th	684	53.2%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	57.69	250^th	693	63.9%
2019	67.02	212^th	764	72.3%
2022	48.53	300^th	594	49.5%
2023	49.28	322^nd	649	50.4%
2024	39.55	394^th	683	42.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	60.89	204^th	596	65.8%
2024	29.49	412^th	539	23.6%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, 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.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, October 26, 2017

My student has flourished after moving to this school in her 3rd grade year. The class sizes are great, the teachers are all professionals and show passion and caring for their students. The Principal is always around, visiting classrooms, on the playground, in the cafeteria, helping with traffic. Wonderful being part of this school! Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Great Preschool program. Close Quote

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, August 3, 2011

This school gets an A++++!!!! The teachers and staff are excellent. My kids will be in 1st and 3rd grade this year and I couldn't have asked for a better school for them to be in. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ponderosa Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	297	1	2	58	1	2	9	370
2012	345	2	3	69	0	0	12	431
2013	361	3	3	76	0	0	14	457
2014	363	5	1	79	0	0	14	462
2015	364	3	4	68	0	0	10	449
2016	366	1	5	65	0	0	8	445
2017	337	4	5	60	0	1	12	419
2018	317	6	5	65	1	1	12	407
2019	318	5	4	59	0	1	17	404
2020	313	7	2	65	1	1	13	402
2021	274	4	1	60	2	0	14	355
2022	310	3	1	62	1	0	13	390
2023	287	1	0	65	0	0	11	364

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 Ponderosa Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	370	19.4	19.0	20
2012	431	20.9	20.5	20.6
2013	457	25.7	17.7	25.8
2014	462	27.0	17.0	25.3
2015	449	27.0	16.6	24.3
2016	445	24.0	18.5	24.5
2017	419	23.6	17.6	24.6
2018	407	24.8	16.3	29.5
2019	404	24.7	16.3	27.7
2020	402	24.9	16.0	29.9
2021	355	24.1	14.7	25.6
2022	390	22.7	17.1	16.9
2023	364	22.2	16.3	23.1

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 Ponderosa Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	370	19.4	19.0	20
2012	431	20.9	20.5	20.6
2013	457	25.7	17.7	25.8
2014	462	27.0	17.0	25.3
2015	449	27.0	16.6	24.3
2016	445	24.0	18.5	24.5
2017	419	23.6	17.6	24.6
2018	407	24.8	16.3	29.5
2019	404	24.7	16.3	27.7
2020	402	24.9	16.0	29.9
2021	355	24.1	14.7	25.6
2022	390	22.7	17.1	16.9
2023	364	22.2	16.3	23.1

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 Ponderosa Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,828
2020	$12,597
2021	$13,830
2022	$14,234
2023	$16,446

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ponderosa 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 168^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 384^th of 933 Elementary schools	23.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary)	60.4	62.5	2.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thompson School District R-2j)	46.1	39.3	6.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary)	64.8	58.9	5.9%
3rd Grade Math (Thompson School District R-2j)	48.2	42	6.2%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary)	63.9	54	9.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Thompson School District R-2j)	52	46.2	5.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary)	40.3	27	13.3%
4th Grade Math (Thompson School District R-2j)	37.2	30.7	6.5%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (Ponderosa Elementary)	68.3	21.8	46.5%
5th Grade Science (Thompson School District R-2j)	35.4	33.8	1.6%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary)	53.7	50	3.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Thompson School District R-2j)	49.4	50.1	0.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary)	56.7	29.1	27.6%
5th Grade Math (Thompson School District R-2j)	37.7	33.1	4.6%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary)	59.1	55.4	3.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Thompson School District R-2j)	45.8	42.4	3.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (Ponderosa Elementary)	53.6	37.9	15.7%
All Grades Math (Thompson School District R-2j)	35.7	31.2	4.5%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	404	364	9.9%
African American	5	1	80%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	0	100%
Hispanic	59	65	10.2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	318	287	9.7%
Two or More Races	17	11	35.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	27.7%	23.1%	4.6%

Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)							CMAS Math (2024)					CMAS Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
Ponderosa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4550 Florence Drive	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 679-9500	364	22	16.3	23.1%	287 (78.8%)	1 (0.3%)	65 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	53.5	421^st of 943 public elementary schools	55.4%		55.7	384^th of 933 public elementary schools	58.8%	37	46.8	55.8	52.4				51.4	50.0	46.2	20.6		38.4	28.6		$16,446
Centennial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1555 West 37th Street	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-5800	335	21	15.9	29.6%	243 (72.5%)	5 (1.5%)	61 (18.2%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.5%)	64.5	319^th of 943 public elementary schools	66.2%		58.1	360^th of 933 public elementary schools	61.4%	41	61.7	45.8	62.5				56.6	50.0	35.6	51.8		45.7	33.9		$16,444
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3312 North Douglas Avenue	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 613-6200	236	15	16.1	50.8%	148 (62.7%)	4 (1.7%)	61 (25.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.9%)	54.1	411^th of 943 public elementary schools	56.4%		51.2	420^th of 933 public elementary schools	55.0%	9			44.8				29.5			31.0		23.1	55.2		$15,858
Laurene Edmondson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	307 West 49th Street	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 613-6300	261	16	16.3	55.6%	145 (55.6%)	3 (1.1%)	94 (36.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.7%)	28.8	627^th of 943 public elementary schools	33.5%		33.5	574^th of 933 public elementary schools	38.5%	53	28.9	36.1	43.2				36.0	23.7	15.8	18.4		19.3	36.8		$18,010
Namaqua Elementary School	Public	K-5	209 North County Road 19e	Loveland	80537	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-6600	252	17	14.7	36.5%	185 (73.4%)	4 (1.6%)	43 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	38.6	538^th of 943 public elementary schools	42.9%		42.6	497^th of 933 public elementary schools	46.7%	41	32.4	43.6	37.8				38.2	47.1	38.5	24.3		36.4	16.2		$15,509
Peakview Academy at Conrad Ball	Public	PK, KG-8	2660 North Monroe Avenue	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-7300	294	20	14.5	62.9%	140 (47.6%)	7 (2.4%)	127 (43.2%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.1%)	15.6	797^th of 943 public elementary schools	15.5%					(n/a)	29.7	20.8	23.1	7.1	31.5	12.9	21.3	25.0	18.9	15.4	11.0	13.4	18.5	9.1	$19,143
Garfield Elementary School	Public	K-5	720 Colorado Avenue	Loveland	80537	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-6000	205	15	13.5	53.7%	159 (77.6%)	4 (2.0%)	33 (16.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.9%)	49.2	457^th of 943 public elementary schools	51.5%		48.7	447^th of 933 public elementary schools	52.1%	10	34.3	50.0	16.7				35.8	57.1				35.8			$17,723
Truscott Elementary School	Public	K-5	211 West 6th Street	Loveland	80537	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	Yes	(970) 613-6900	193	19	10.2	58.0%	79 (40.9%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (53.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.2%)								(n/a)			14.3				11.4					6.0			$22,849
Cottonwood Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	525 Turman Drive	Fort Collins	80525	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-5900	386	26	15.1	51.8%	179 (46.4%)	4 (1.0%)	171 (44.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	23.6	692^nd of 943 public elementary schools	26.6%		24.7	676^th of 933 public elementary schools	27.5%	16	29.4	28.6	38.1				31.4	21.4	20.0	26.2		22.1	22.0		$16,197
Big Thompson Elementary School	Public	K-5	7702 West Highway 34	Loveland	80538	Larimer County	Thompson School District R-2j	No	No	No	No	(970) 613-5600	206	13	16.2	20.4%	166 (80.6%)	1 (0.5%)	28 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.4%)	61	354^th of 943 public elementary schools	62.5%		66.2	285^th of 933 public elementary schools	69.5%	69	43.2	44.7	67.6				51.4	37.8	35.1	50.0		40.7	52.9		$14,571

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 364 students attended Ponderosa Elementary.

Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 421^st of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Ponderosa Elementary in?

Thompson School District R-2j

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lucile Erwin Middle School
High : Loveland High School

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary are 79% White, 18% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

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