Theresa Bunker Elementary School

Summary:

Theresa Bunker Elementary School is a public elementary school in Idaho Falls, Idaho, serving 289 students in grades PK-6. The school faces several challenges, including a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, low academic performance, and high chronic absenteeism rates.

Theresa Bunker has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (23.53%) compared to the state average, and its test scores are generally lower than the Idaho Falls District and state averages across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in ISAT Math (37.9%), ISAT Science (24.5%), and ISAT English Language Arts (45.9%) were all below the district and state averages. The school's chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 24.7% to 28% over the past three years, is significantly higher than the state average of 16.5%.

While Theresa Bunker is part of an underperforming district, there are nearby schools that are outperforming it. Longfellow Elementary School, also in the Idaho Falls District, outperforms Theresa Bunker in most academic metrics, and Alturas International Academy, a public charter school outside the district, significantly outperforms Theresa Bunker and the district in both math and English language arts proficiency. Addressing the challenges faced by Theresa Bunker and learning from the successful practices of higher-performing schools could be crucial in improving the educational outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1385 East 16th Street
Idaho Falls, ID 83404-5476

(208) 525-7606

District: Idaho Falls District

SchoolDigger Rank:
228^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,241

Students who attend Theresa Bunker Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Taylorview Middle School
High:	Idaho Falls Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.6

Number of students: 289

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.7%

Hispanic:

23.5%

Two or more races:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 62.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Theresa Bunker Elementary School ranks worse than 75.7% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 7^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Idaho Falls District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.94. (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 Theresa Bunker Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Idaho Falls District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Theresa Bunker Elementary School is $7,241, which is the 4^th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Idaho Falls District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Theresa Bunker Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Theresa Bunker Elementary School 228^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Theresa Bunker Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Idaho Falls District:

SchoolDigger ranks Idaho Falls District 52^nd of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Theresa Bunker Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Theresa Bunker Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	22.84	297^th	335	11.3%
2009	17.35	323^rd	349	7.4%
2010	16.71	338^th	356	5.1%
2011	8.30	354^th	359	1.4%
2012	12.43	340^th	354	4.0%
2013	27.79	301^st	357	15.7%
2016	30.32	172^nd	240	28.3%
2017	29.93	218^th	292	25.3%
2018	24.10	198^th	254	22.0%
2019	16.51	150^th	171	12.3%
2023	38.26	161^st	252	36.1%
2024	23.94	228^th	301	24.3%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Theresa Bunker Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.69	96^th	135	28.9%

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
Friday, March 13, 2009

The school has many problems ranging from the lack of appropriate building security to the lack of teacher training and support. Students are clustered in classes for their core courses thereby allowing those excelling to move-up grade levels, but also allowing other children to move down grade levels. This could have advantages, but it appears it is easier to move kids down than to bring them up. This school failed to teach my child to read and my child was taught to do so at home.

As a parent, I was shocked to find out the misinformation that was being taught in history/social studies and science. My elder child's first year covered content that was at or below the instruction she had received the prior year in a different state. These are also the same teachers that complained to the class that they did not get paid enough (sadly true) and were working 2nd jobs.

This school has struggled long enough--get new leadership or close it already! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Theresa Bunker 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	418	418
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	376	376
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	376	376
1994	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	385	385
1995	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	332	332
1996	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	332	332
1997	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	284	284
1998	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	315	315
1999	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	288	288
2000	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	287	287
2001	309	5	6	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	346
2002	273	4	4	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	310
2003	273	4	4	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	310
2004	228	5	9	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	285
2005	248	4	4	34	5	n/a	n/a	0	295
2006	270	5	3	46	5	n/a	n/a	0	329
2007	255	2	6	43	3	n/a	n/a	0	309
2008	272	4	6	46	5	n/a	n/a	0	333
2009	267	6	6	48	6	n/a	n/a	0	333
2010	262	8	7	45	7	n/a	n/a	0	329
2011	241	2	1	63	6	2	22	0	337
2012	225	4	1	62	6	1	19	0	318
2013	267	4	4	52	4	1	14	0	346
2014	283	4	5	63	8	0	11	0	374
2015	233	4	3	50	4	0	6	0	300
2016	254	2	4	50	4	0	11	0	325
2017	227	4	3	52	2	0	13	0	301
2018	197	5	1	48	3	0	11	0	265
2019	229	4	2	51	1	0	6	0	293
2020	214	5	0	63	1	0	11	0	294
2021	174	1	1	64	0	0	15	0	255
2022	172	1	2	73	1	0	19	0	268
2023	190	1	2	68	3	0	25	0	289

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 Theresa Bunker Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	418	22.0	19.0	7.2
1992	376	20.9	17.9	13.6
1993	376	18.3	20.5	12.8
1994	385	16.2	23.8	18.2
1995	332	17.5	19.0	18.7
1996	332	17.5	19.0	18.7
1997	284	17.0	16.7	20.8
1998	315	14.0	22.5	21.9
1999	288	13.0	22.2	33
2000	287	15.2	18.9	25.8
2001	346	16.3	21.2	28
2002	310	15.2	20.4	39.4
2003	310	15.2	20.4	39.4
2004	285	15.2	18.8	39.3
2005	295	15.7	18.8	34.2
2006	329	16.9	19.5	39.2
2007	309	16.2	19.1	41.4
2008	333	15.7	21.2	48.3
2009	333	15.4	21.5	48.6
2010	329	15.2	21.6	49.5
2011	337	19.4	17.3	52.5
2012	318	n/a	n/a	64.5
2013	346	16.3	21.1	67.9
2014	374	15.0	24.7	58.8
2015	300	13.0	23.0	68
2016	325	16.0	20.3	74.8
2017	301	15.0	19.9	72.1
2018	265	16.0	16.5	66.4
2019	293	15.8	18.5	63.1
2020	294	15.5	18.9	59.9
2021	255	13.5	18.8	50.2
2022	268	13.5	19.8	42.2
2023	289	15.5	18.6	62.3

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 Theresa Bunker Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	418	22.0	19.0	7.2
1992	376	20.9	17.9	13.6
1993	376	18.3	20.5	12.8
1994	385	16.2	23.8	18.2
1995	332	17.5	19.0	18.7
1996	332	17.5	19.0	18.7
1997	284	17.0	16.7	20.8
1998	315	14.0	22.5	21.9
1999	288	13.0	22.2	33
2000	287	15.2	18.9	25.8
2001	346	16.3	21.2	28
2002	310	15.2	20.4	39.4
2003	310	15.2	20.4	39.4
2004	285	15.2	18.8	39.3
2005	295	15.7	18.8	34.2
2006	329	16.9	19.5	39.2
2007	309	16.2	19.1	41.4
2008	333	15.7	21.2	48.3
2009	333	15.4	21.5	48.6
2010	329	15.2	21.6	49.5
2011	337	19.4	17.3	52.5
2012	318	n/a	n/a	64.5
2013	346	16.3	21.1	67.9
2014	374	15.0	24.7	58.8
2015	300	13.0	23.0	68
2016	325	16.0	20.3	74.8
2017	301	15.0	19.9	72.1
2018	265	16.0	16.5	66.4
2019	293	15.8	18.5	63.1
2020	294	15.5	18.9	59.9
2021	255	13.5	18.8	50.2
2022	268	13.5	19.8	42.2
2023	289	15.5	18.6	62.3

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 Theresa Bunker Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,057 (14.6%)	$6,184 (85.4%)	$7,241

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Theresa Bunker 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 150^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 161^st of 252 Elementary schools	23.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Theresa Bunker Elementary School)	26.7	28.5	1.8%
6th Grade Math (Idaho Falls District)	40.6	38.6	2%
6th Grade Math (Idaho)	43	39.4	3.6%
All Grades Math (Theresa Bunker Elementary School)	30.6	37.7	7.1%
All Grades Math (Idaho Falls District)	38.4	37.8	0.6%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades Science (Theresa Bunker Elementary School)	44	46.9	2.9%
All Grades Science (Idaho Falls District)	52.6	35.1	17.5%
All Grades Science (Idaho)	58.9	41.6	17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Theresa Bunker Elementary School)	43.7	47.5	3.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho Falls District)	49.1	48	1.1%
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	293	289	1.4%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	51	68	33.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	229	190	17%
Two or More Races	6	25	316.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	63.1%	62.3%	0.9%

Schools Near Theresa Bunker 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 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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Theresa Bunker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1385 East 16th Street	Idaho Falls	83404	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-7606	289	16	18.6	62.3%	190 (65.7%)	1 (0.3%)	68 (23.5%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.7%)	23.9	228^th of 301 public elementary schools	24.3%		38.3	161^st of 252 public elementary schools	36.1%	67			30.6		37.9	24.5	26.2				45.9	$7,241	$1,057	$6,184
Edgemont Gardens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1240 Azalea Drive	Idaho Falls	83404	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-7618	427	24	18.1	38.4%	318 (74.5%)	1 (0.2%)	79 (18.5%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	21 (4.9%)	45.3	166^th of 301 public elementary schools	44.9%		46.5	139^th of 252 public elementary schools	44.8%	27	46.8	52.1	35.1	54.7	47.7		46.2	43.0	42.5	61.6	48.4	$6,368	$914	$5,455
Linden Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1305 9th Street	Idaho Falls	83404	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-7642	418	21	19.9	63.4%	300 (71.8%)	1 (0.2%)	101 (24.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	24.3	225^th of 301 public elementary schools	25.2%		17.7	209^th of 252 public elementary schools	17.1%	16	35.4	46.0	23.6	33.3	34.5	23.6	50.8	43.2	30.6	37.1	41.1	$7,272	$1,109	$6,163
Virtual Preparatory Academy Of Idaho - Elementary	Public, Virtual	K-6	690 John Adams Parkway	Idaho Falls	83401	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	Yes	No	(208) 525-7500	28	3	10.6		22 (78.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.7%)	1 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.1%)								(n/a)
Dora Erickson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	850 Cleveland Street	Idaho Falls	83401	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-7612	450	24	18.7	75.3%	267 (59.3%)	8 (1.8%)	156 (34.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	13.9	257^th of 301 public elementary schools	14.6%		8.6	241^st of 252 public elementary schools	4.4%	16	26.9	45.0	18.0	29.1	30.2	18.3		33.4	20.0		29.1	$8,165	$1,707	$6,459
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2500 South Higbee Avenue	Idaho Falls	83404	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	No	(208) 525-7648	598	26	23.4	32.3%	490 (81.9%)	2 (0.3%)	75 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	26 (4.3%)	51.6	143^rd of 301 public elementary schools	52.5%		60.3	93^rd of 252 public elementary schools	63.1%	50	48.2	50.0	43.9	52.5	48.8	50.6	42.0	50.6	60.2	51.6	51.2	$5,960	$861	$5,099
Hawthorne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1520 South Boulvevard	Idaho Falls	83402	Bonneville County	Idaho Falls District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-7636	329	19	17.3	56.2%	243 (73.9%)	3 (0.9%)	67 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	11.4	271^st of 301 public elementary schools	10.0%		10.4	234^th of 252 public elementary schools	7.1%	37			26.7		27.6	15.5			37.8	28.6	32.3	$7,785	$1,179	$6,607
Falls Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2455 Virlow Drive	Idaho Falls	83401	Bonneville County	Bonneville Joint District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-4455	375	24	15.6	57.9%	258 (68.8%)	3 (0.8%)	93 (24.8%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.0%)	41.4	175^th of 301 public elementary schools	41.9%		33.4	169^th of 252 public elementary schools	32.9%	6	56.4		31.7		43.1	24.6	43.5		60.4		51.4	$9,076	$1,417	$7,659
Alturas International Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	151 North Ridge Avenue	Idaho Falls	83402	Bonneville County	Alturas International Academy Inc.	Yes	No	No	Yes	(208) 522-5145	556	27	20.8		435 (78.2%)	3 (0.5%)	79 (14.2%)	18 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.4%)	62.3	106^th of 301 public elementary schools	64.8%					(n/a)	61.6	51.7	40.0		51.2	44.7	55.8	62.5	62.3		60.2	$6,935	$380	$6,555
Hillview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3075 Teton Street	Ammon	83406	Bonneville County	Bonneville Joint District	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 525-4460	483	26	18.5	52.4%	365 (75.6%)	2 (0.4%)	100 (20.7%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.9%)	52.9	137^th of 301 public elementary schools	54.5%		48.2	133^rd of 252 public elementary schools	47.2%	4	51.4	49.1	40.6	52.5	48.3	40.6	48.6	49.1	68.1	52.5	54.9	$6,712	$953	$5,760

Frequently Asked Questions about Theresa Bunker Elementary School

What district is Theresa Bunker Elementary School in?

Idaho Falls District

What schools do graduates of Theresa Bunker Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Theresa Bunker Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Taylorview Middle School
High : Idaho Falls Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Theresa Bunker Elementary School?

Students at Theresa Bunker Elementary School are 66% White, 24% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Is Theresa Bunker Elementary School a good school?

Theresa Bunker Elementary School ranks in the bottom 24.3% of Idaho elementary schools.

How many students attend Theresa Bunker Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 289 students attended Theresa Bunker Elementary School.

Rate Theresa Bunker Elementary School!

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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.