Lowell Elementary School

Q: Is Lowell Elementary School a good school?

Lowell Elementary School ranks 115 th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Lowell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Boise, Idaho, serving 295 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Boise Independent District, which is ranked 37 out of 77 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Lowell Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in both Math and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments, with 49.1% proficiency in Math and 58.9% in ELA, compared to the district's 44.8% in Math and 53.5% in ELA, and the state's 42.2% in Math and 53.3% in ELA. The school's 6th-grade students stand out, with 80% proficient or better in ELA, significantly higher than the district (58.7%) and state (52%) averages. However, Lowell's chronic absenteeism rate, at 23.8% in 2022-2023, remains higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Lowell Elementary outperforms Koelsch Elementary, Taft Elementary, and Jefferson Elementary in both Math and ELA assessments. However, Collister Elementary and Washington Elementary, also within the Boise Independent District, demonstrate even stronger academic performance, with proficiency rates significantly higher than Lowell Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1507 North 28th Street
Boise, ID 83703-5952

(208) 854-5480

District: Boise Independent District

SchoolDigger Rank:
115^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,865

Students who attend Lowell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Junior High School
High:	Boise Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 295

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.3%

Hispanic:

10.5%

Two or more races:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell Elementary School ranks better than 61.8% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 14^th among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.78. (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 Lowell Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell Elementary School is $9,865, which is the 13^th highest among 32 elementary schools in the Boise Independent District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lowell Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Boise Independent District:

SchoolDigger ranks Boise Independent District 37^th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Lowell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	4.76	333^rd	335	0.6%
2009	7.90	340^th	349	2.6%
2010	30.83	290^th	356	18.5%
2011	27.76	301^st	359	16.2%
2012	36.56	264^th	354	25.4%
2013	31.57	291^st	357	18.5%
2015	71.17	62^nd	226	72.6%
2017	80.00	43^rd	292	85.3%
2018	72.57	64^th	254	74.8%
2019	60.49	70^th	171	59.1%
2021	66.37	53^rd	166	68.1%
2022	72.89	49^th	188	73.9%
2023	56.16	106^th	252	57.9%
2024	58.78	115^th	301	61.8%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Idaho Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, April 7, 2014

The teachers at Lowell have been fantastic with my child. They are very accommodating and go the extra mile. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Lowell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	417	417
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	402	402
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	430	430
1994	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	405	405
1995	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	385	385
1996	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	385	385
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	400	400
1998	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	395	395
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	352	352
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	352	352
2001	354	4	3	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
2002	318	8	4	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	355
2003	318	8	4	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	355
2004	298	10	1	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	331
2005	308	17	0	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
2006	240	23	4	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
2007	248	25	7	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	298
2008	251	52	10	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	328
2009	236	22	29	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
2010	218	22	10	18	3	n/a	n/a	0	271
2011	230	19	9	14	7	1	0	0	280
2012	223	18	11	20	2	1	1	0	276
2013	252	19	13	21	4	1	1	0	311
2014	307	17	15	25	7	3	3	0	377
2015	291	19	18	26	7	0	7	0	368
2016	297	15	13	33	6	0	7	0	371
2017	304	10	11	38	3	0	12	0	378
2018	268	9	8	36	7	1	9	0	338
2019	250	11	5	38	8	0	12	0	324
2020	268	7	2	38	5	0	13	0	333
2021	214	3	1	27	5	0	9	0	259
2022	249	2	4	35	6	0	11	0	307
2023	237	9	3	31	3	0	12	0	295

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 Lowell Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	417	25.0	16.6	28.8
1992	402	23.5	17.1	27.4
1993	430	23.8	18.1	32.1
1994	405	23.7	17.1	32.3
1995	385	22.0	17.5	28.6
1996	385	22.0	17.5	28.6
1997	400	23.8	16.8	32.3
1998	395	22.2	17.8	37.2
1999	352	19.6	18.0	45.7
2000	352	19.9	17.7	42.6
2001	390	21.6	18.1	40.8
2002	355	20.6	17.2	48.7
2003	355	20.6	17.2	48.7
2004	331	21.2	15.6	51.7
2005	345	21.7	15.9	47.5
2006	285	20.5	13.9	48.1
2007	298	19.0	15.7	49.3
2008	328	19.5	16.8	54.6
2009	307	19.6	15.7	54.1
2010	271	19.6	13.7	52.8
2011	280	19.7	14.1	50.4
2012	276	17.2	16.0	53.6
2013	311	19.6	15.8	52.4
2014	377	20.9	17.9	48
2015	368	21.0	17.5	98.4
2016	371	22.0	16.8	49.6
2017	378	20.1	18.7	98.1
2018	338	20.1	16.7	98.2
2019	324	19.4	16.6	98.1
2020	333	19.2	17.3	29.1
2021	259	17.2	15.0	22
2022	307	20.0	15.3	16.9
2023	295	19.5	15.1	24.1

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 Lowell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	417	25.0	16.6	28.8
1992	402	23.5	17.1	27.4
1993	430	23.8	18.1	32.1
1994	405	23.7	17.1	32.3
1995	385	22.0	17.5	28.6
1996	385	22.0	17.5	28.6
1997	400	23.8	16.8	32.3
1998	395	22.2	17.8	37.2
1999	352	19.6	18.0	45.7
2000	352	19.9	17.7	42.6
2001	390	21.6	18.1	40.8
2002	355	20.6	17.2	48.7
2003	355	20.6	17.2	48.7
2004	331	21.2	15.6	51.7
2005	345	21.7	15.9	47.5
2006	285	20.5	13.9	48.1
2007	298	19.0	15.7	49.3
2008	328	19.5	16.8	54.6
2009	307	19.6	15.7	54.1
2010	271	19.6	13.7	52.8
2011	280	19.7	14.1	50.4
2012	276	17.2	16.0	53.6
2013	311	19.6	15.8	52.4
2014	377	20.9	17.9	48
2015	368	21.0	17.5	98.4
2016	371	22.0	16.8	49.6
2017	378	20.1	18.7	98.1
2018	338	20.1	16.7	98.2
2019	324	19.4	16.6	98.1
2020	333	19.2	17.3	29.1
2021	259	17.2	15.0	22
2022	307	20.0	15.3	16.9
2023	295	19.5	15.1	24.1

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 Lowell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$828 (8.4%)	$9,037 (91.6%)	$9,865

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lowell Elementary School

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 70^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 106^th of 252 Elementary schools	1.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Lowell Elementary School)	68	66.6	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Boise Independent District)	54.6	53.3	1.3%
3rd Grade Math (Idaho)	53	51.1	1.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Elementary School)	59.6	44.1	15.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	55.6	51.7	3.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	48.4	3.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Elementary School)	63.8	72.8	9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	57.5	53.4	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	56.9	51.7	5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Elementary School)	60.4	71.2	10.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	59.7	57.9	1.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	55.3	52.7	2.6%
All Grades Math (Lowell Elementary School)	48	46.8	1.2%
All Grades Math (Boise Independent District)	46.5	45.5	1%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Lowell Elementary School)	59.4	50	9.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	57.3	55.5	1.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)	55	52.2	2.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	324	295	9%
African American	11	9	18.2%
American Indian	8	3	62.5%
Asian	5	3	40%
Hispanic	38	31	18.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	250	237	5.2%
Two or More Races	12	12
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98.1%	24.1%	74.1%

Schools Near Lowell Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISAT Math (2024)							ISAT Science (2024)	ISAT English Language Arts (2024)							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	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	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lowell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1507 North 28th Street	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5480	295	20	15.1	24.1%	237 (80.3%)	9 (3.1%)	31 (10.5%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	58.8	115^th of 301 public elementary schools	61.8%		56.2	106^th of 252 public elementary schools	57.9%	9	60.8	50.0	38.6	45.7			49.1		63.1	43.7	54.5	80.0			58.9	$9,865	$828	$9,037
Whittier Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	301 North 29th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-6630	572	33	17.3	98.8%	258 (45.1%)	68 (11.9%)	207 (36.2%)	16 (2.8%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	17 (3.0%)	21.2	237^th of 301 public elementary schools	21.3%		27.7	183^rd of 252 public elementary schools	27.4%	54	45.2	35.4	22.9	16.4			30.1		45.7	41.9	35.6	39.7			40.6	$9,813	$1,743	$8,071
Taft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3722 Anderson Street	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-6181	270	19	14.0	99.3%	138 (51.1%)	54 (20.0%)	32 (11.9%)	29 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.5%)	11 (4.1%)	4.2	296^th of 301 public elementary schools	1.7%		13	225^th of 252 public elementary schools	10.7%	71		11.6		13.9			15.2	15.0	29.7	13.1	22.5	25.7			22.7	$12,390	$2,517	$9,873
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1607 North 15th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-6420	260	15	16.9	8.5%	219 (84.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	13 (5.0%)	91.9	21^st of 301 public elementary schools	93.0%		93.9	12^th of 252 public elementary schools	95.2%	9	71.0		69.7				69.1				88.4	77.5			74.4	$9,432	$564	$8,868
Future Public School	Public, Charter	K-6	511 East 43rd Street	Garden City	83714	Ada County	Future Public School Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-3923	410	22	18.6	42.2%	257 (62.7%)	45 (11.0%)	62 (15.1%)	15 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.1%)	64.1	103^rd of 301 public elementary schools	65.8%					(n/a)	57.3	48.2	40.0	42.8			48.4	45.0	63.9	62.3	67.5	71.5			65.6	$10,556	$1,824	$8,732
Anser Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	202 East 42nd Street	Garden City	83714	Ada County	Anser Of Idaho Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 426-9840	502	37	13.7	20.9%	417 (83.1%)	2 (0.4%)	52 (10.4%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.8%)	52.9	136^th of 301 public elementary schools	54.8%					(n/a)	39.7	50.0	58.4	32.8	42.3	42.0	44.3	60.9	47.6	45.7	69.5	55.2	55.8	60.0	55.5
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1511 North 9th Street	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5450	255	17	15.4	8.2%	207 (81.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.2%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.1%)	82.6	51^st of 301 public elementary schools	83.1%		90.9	26^th of 252 public elementary schools	89.7%	25		73.3	51.3				69.1	51.2		75.5	66.7				75.0	$8,983	$449	$8,534
Koelsch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2015 North Curtis Road	Boise	83706	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-5300	320	20	16.4	99.1%	170 (53.1%)	40 (12.5%)	88 (27.5%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	13 (4.1%)	4	298^th of 301 public elementary schools	1.0%		6.7	247^th of 252 public elementary schools	2.0%	51		21.1	10.8				17.0	15.2	16.2	21.1	26.1	24.4			21.9	$10,259	$1,897	$8,362
Collister Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4426 Catalpa Drive	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-4650	261	16	16.3	6.5%	188 (72.0%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.0%)	37 (14.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	92.3	20^th of 301 public elementary schools	93.4%		95.6	5^th of 252 public elementary schools	98.0%	15		74.5		78.5			69.2	70.8	70.2	76.7	70.8	88.1			76.3	$10,048	$595	$9,452
Highlands Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3434 Bogus Basin Road	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5050	294	17	17.2	3.1%	262 (89.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	94.8	6^th of 301 public elementary schools	98.0%		94.6	9^th of 252 public elementary schools	96.4%	3	79.5	74.5	73.1	84.6			77.5	76.9	76.3	72.1	82.6	84.7			79.1	$8,870	$369	$8,501

Frequently Asked Questions about Lowell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Lowell Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : North Junior High School
High : Boise Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Lowell Elementary School?

Students at Lowell Elementary School are 80% White, 11% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Lowell Elementary School in?

Boise Independent District

How many students attend Lowell Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 295 students attended Lowell Elementary School.

Is Lowell Elementary School a good school?

Lowell Elementary School ranks 115^th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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