Taft Elementary School

Summary:

Taft Elementary School is a public elementary school in Boise, Idaho, serving 270 students in grades PK-6. The school stands out from nearby schools in the Boise Independent District due to its diverse student population, consistently low academic performance, and high rates of chronic absenteeism and poverty.

Taft Elementary has a more racially diverse student body compared to nearby schools, with higher percentages of African American (20%), Hispanic (11.85%), and Asian (10.74%) students. However, the school consistently underperforms the district and state averages in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 15.2% of Taft students were proficient or better in ISAT/Math, compared to 44.8% for the district and 42.2% for the state. Taft also has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 37% in the 2021-2022 school year, compared to the nearby Collister Elementary and Washington Elementary, which range from 11.3% to 36.5%.

The data suggests that Taft Elementary faces unique challenges that the other schools in the Boise Independent District do not. The school's high rates of poverty, with over 99% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, may be contributing to its academic struggles. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the years, from 95 out of 226 Idaho elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 296 out of 301 in 2023-2024, with a consistent 1-star or 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Addressing these underlying factors through targeted interventions and support could be crucial in improving student outcomes at Taft Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3722 Anderson Street
Boise, ID 83703-5216

(208) 854-6181

District: Boise Independent District

SchoolDigger Rank:
296^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,390

Students who attend Taft Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hillside Junior High School
High:	Boise Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 288

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.0%

African American:

24.3%

Hispanic:

13.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Taft Elementary School ranks worse than 98.3% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 31^st among 32 ranked elementary schools in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.23. (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 Student population at Taft Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (50%), African American (24.3%), Hispanic (13.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Taft Elementary School is 15.8, which is the 12^th best among 32 elementary schools in the Boise Independent District. (See more...)

Compare Taft Elementary School employs 18.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Taft Elementary School is $12,390, which is the 3^rd highest among 32 elementary schools in the Boise Independent District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Taft Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Taft Elementary School 296^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Taft Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

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 Taft Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Taft Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	50.85	185^th	335	44.8%
2009	34.17	270^th	349	22.6%
2010	37.33	262^nd	356	26.4%
2011	33.73	281^st	359	21.7%
2012	26.20	303^rd	354	14.4%
2013	38.93	262^nd	357	26.6%
2015	57.88	95^th	226	58.0%
2016	11.94	221^st	240	7.9%
2017	16.56	255^th	292	12.7%
2018	14.32	227^th	254	10.6%
2019	5.53	171^st	171	0.0%
2023	13.03	225^th	252	10.7%
2024	4.23	296^th	301	1.7%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Taft Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	7.13	135^th	135	0.0%

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

Data source: test scores: Idaho 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: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, February 19, 2018

No communications No contacts. .. we know events from neighbors ! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Taft 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	534	534
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	530	530
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	528	528
1994	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	513	513
1995	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	473	473
1996	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	473	473
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	446	446
1998	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	432	432
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	405	405
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	386	386
2001	328	6	10	30	5	n/a	n/a	0	379
2002	320	10	4	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	379
2003	320	10	4	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	379
2004	292	15	4	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	352
2005	302	11	8	34	3	n/a	n/a	0	358
2006	287	15	10	33	2	n/a	n/a	0	347
2007	255	14	12	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	312
2008	269	11	15	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	328
2009	290	46	20	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	373
2010	271	48	22	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	360
2011	250	36	15	20	1	2	6	0	330
2012	252	39	22	23	4	3	5	0	348
2013	216	45	28	18	5	7	2	0	321
2014	215	64	24	32	2	4	4	0	345
2015	198	49	22	39	2	6	5	0	321
2016	196	52	21	42	2	4	9	0	326
2017	199	81	21	52	2	5	11	0	371
2018	201	98	13	32	0	5	10	0	359
2019	166	88	13	43	0	5	11	0	326
2020	159	95	12	37	2	2	14	0	321
2021	125	69	5	24	2	2	12	0	239
2022	138	63	7	24	2	1	7	0	242
2023	138	54	29	32	2	4	11	0	270
2024	144	70	22	39	0	0	13	0	288

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 Taft Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	534	29.0	18.4	32.6
1992	530	28.3	18.7	34
1993	528	28.2	18.7	43.2
1994	513	28.3	18.1	42.7
1995	473	27.9	17.0	35.3
1996	473	27.9	17.0	35.3
1997	446	27.8	16.0	37.4
1998	432	23.9	18.1	38.2
1999	405	23.9	16.9	53.1
2000	386	22.3	17.3	49.5
2001	379	21.2	17.9	61.7
2002	379	23.4	16.2	61.2
2003	379	23.4	16.2	61.2
2004	352	22.5	15.6	69.6
2005	358	23.5	15.2	65.1
2006	347	23.0	15.1	65.4
2007	312	22.7	13.7	62.8
2008	328	19.6	16.7	59.5
2009	373	19.2	19.4	64.1
2010	360	19.0	18.9	72.8
2011	330	24.0	13.7	77.6
2012	348	21.2	16.3	67
2013	321	21.5	14.9	74.5
2014	345	20.3	16.9	94.8
2015	321	21.0	15.2	100
2016	326	22.0	14.8	99.1
2017	371	22.1	16.7	99.2
2018	359	22.9	15.6	98.9
2019	326	17.2	18.8	99.1
2020	321	21.2	15.1	99.1
2021	239	17.7	13.4	99.2
2022	242	17.5	13.8	99.2
2023	270	19.2	14.0	99.3
2024	288	18.2	15.8	99

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 Taft Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	534	29.0	18.4	32.6
1992	530	28.3	18.7	34
1993	528	28.2	18.7	43.2
1994	513	28.3	18.1	42.7
1995	473	27.9	17.0	35.3
1996	473	27.9	17.0	35.3
1997	446	27.8	16.0	37.4
1998	432	23.9	18.1	38.2
1999	405	23.9	16.9	53.1
2000	386	22.3	17.3	49.5
2001	379	21.2	17.9	61.7
2002	379	23.4	16.2	61.2
2003	379	23.4	16.2	61.2
2004	352	22.5	15.6	69.6
2005	358	23.5	15.2	65.1
2006	347	23.0	15.1	65.4
2007	312	22.7	13.7	62.8
2008	328	19.6	16.7	59.5
2009	373	19.2	19.4	64.1
2010	360	19.0	18.9	72.8
2011	330	24.0	13.7	77.6
2012	348	21.2	16.3	67
2013	321	21.5	14.9	74.5
2014	345	20.3	16.9	94.8
2015	321	21.0	15.2	100
2016	326	22.0	14.8	99.1
2017	371	22.1	16.7	99.2
2018	359	22.9	15.6	98.9
2019	326	17.2	18.8	99.1
2020	321	21.2	15.1	99.1
2021	239	17.7	13.4	99.2
2022	242	17.5	13.8	99.2
2023	270	19.2	14.0	99.3
2024	288	18.2	15.8	99

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 Taft Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,517 (20.3%)	$9,873 (79.7%)	$12,390

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Taft 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 171^st of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 225^th of 252 Elementary schools	10.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade English Language Arts (Taft Elementary School)	39.1	28.6	10.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Boise Independent District)	55.6	54.2	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	52
All Grades Math (Taft Elementary School)	22.8	28.1	5.3%
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 (Taft Elementary School)	34.9	30.7	4.2%
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	326	270	17.2%
African American	88	54	38.6%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	13	29	123.1%
Hispanic	43	32	25.6%
Pacific Islander	5	4	20%
White	166	138	16.9%
Two or More Races	11	11
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99.1%	99.3%	0.2%

Schools Near Taft 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
Taft Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3722 Anderson Street	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 854-6181	288	18	15.8	99.0%	144 (50.0%)	70 (24.3%)	39 (13.5%)	22 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	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
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	384	19	20.2	44.3%	245 (63.8%)	29 (7.6%)	63 (16.4%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	33 (8.6%)	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
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	308	21	15.0	27.3%	240 (77.9%)	10 (3.2%)	38 (12.3%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.9%)	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
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	551	37	14.9	25.2%	451 (81.9%)	3 (0.5%)	57 (10.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (6.2%)	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
Collister Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4426 Catalpa Drive	Boise	83703	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-4650	257	15	17.0	5.4%	182 (70.8%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (9.3%)	39 (15.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.9%)	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
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	531	30	17.7	98.7%	241 (45.4%)	35 (6.6%)	213 (40.1%)	9 (1.7%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.1%)	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
Madison Early Childhood School	Public	PK	2215 West Madison Avenue	Boise	83702	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5520	32	5	6.4		18 (56.3%)	4 (12.5%)	9 (28.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.1%)								(n/a)
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	267	15	17.3	6.4%	224 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (10.1%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.7%)	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
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	318	22	14.4	99.1%	165 (51.9%)	43 (13.5%)	86 (27.0%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	12 (3.8%)	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
Mountain View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3500 Cabarton Lane	Boise	83704	Ada County	Boise Independent District	No	No	No	No	(208) 854-5700	278	18	15.8	30.6%	216 (77.7%)	12 (4.3%)	34 (12.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	12 (4.3%)	58.5	118^th of 301 public elementary schools	60.8%		65.9	80^th of 252 public elementary schools	68.3%	38	61.0	59.0	48.9	42.9			53.1	51.1	46.3	60.0	51.1	57.1			53.4	$9,505	$1,321	$8,183

Frequently Asked Questions about Taft Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Taft Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hillside Junior High School
High : Boise Senior High School

How many students attend Taft Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 288 students attended Taft Elementary School.

Is Taft Elementary School a good school?

Taft Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.7% of Idaho elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Taft Elementary School?

Students at Taft Elementary School are 50% White, 24% African American, 14% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Taft Elementary School in?

Boise Independent District

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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.