Mary McPherson Elementary

Summary:

Mary McPherson Elementary is a public elementary school located in Meridian, Idaho, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 457. The school is part of the Joint School District No. 2, which is ranked 10 out of 77 districts in Idaho and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mary McPherson Elementary consistently ranks among the top 25% of Idaho elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 41-70 over the past several years. The school's ISAT proficiency rates in Math, Science, and English Language Arts are significantly higher than the state averages, often exceeding the district's performance as well. In 2023-2024, 65.5% of students were proficient or better in ISAT/English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 53.3%, and 62.7% of students were proficient or better in ISAT/Science, compared to the state average of 41.2%. The school's diverse student population, with 78.56% White, 10.94% Hispanic, 2.41% Asian, and 6.78% two or more races, is higher than some nearby schools like Christine Donnell School Of The Arts and Hillsdale Elementary.

While Mary McPherson Elementary has seen fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 7.7% in 2020-2021 to 25.0% in 2021-2022, its rate of 16.2% in 2022-2023 is lower than some nearby schools like Meridian Elementary (24.7%) and Peregrine Elementary (19.5%). Additionally, the school's relatively lower free and reduced-price lunch rates of 21.66% in 2022-2023, compared to schools like Meridian Elementary (66.52%) and Peregrine Elementary (38%), suggest a more affluent student population.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1050 East Amity Road
       Meridian, ID  83642-6958


(208) 855-4300

District: Joint School District No. 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
70th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,373 Help


Students who attend Mary McPherson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Victory Middle School
High:    Meridian High School

Student/teacher ratio:  18.9 Help
Number of students:  485

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.9%
Hispanic:
12.2%
Two or more races:
5.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Mary McPherson Elementary ranks better than 76.7% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 23rd among 33 ranked elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.32. (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 Racial makeup is: White (76.9%), Hispanic (12.2%), two or more races (5.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 23.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mary McPherson Elementary is 18.9. 24 elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Mary McPherson Elementary employs 25.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mary McPherson Elementary is $6,373. 28 elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mary McPherson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Mary McPherson Elementary 70th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Mary McPherson Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Joint School District No. 2:

SchoolDigger ranks Joint School District No. 2 10th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Mary McPherson Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Mary McPherson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 61.97 124th 335 63.0%
2009 66.71 101st 349 71.1%
2010 60.88 144th 356 59.6%
2011 62.94 129th 359 64.1%
2012 62.99 130th 354 63.3%
2013 73.94 65th 357 81.8%
2015 78.23 43rd 226 81.0%
2016 80.25 42nd 240 82.5%
2017 72.35 79th 292 72.9%
2018 76.00 55th 254 78.3%
2019 69.59 48th 171 71.9%
2021 71.74 47th 166 71.7%
2022 78.18 41st 188 78.2%
2023 82.12 43rd 252 82.9%
2024 76.32 70th 301 76.7%
See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Mary McPherson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.16 17th 121 86.0%
2021 74.92 4th 19 78.9%
2024 60.44 27th 69 60.9%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Mary McPherson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.51 45th 121 62.8%
2021 84.46 3rd 19 84.2%
2024 90.21 6th 69 91.3%
See the entire list of Best Idaho Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Mary McPherson Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 80.51 28th 135 79.3%
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.

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






Data source: Idaho Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Mary McPherson Elementary

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Compare
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 593 593
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 526 526
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 508 508
1994 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 522 522
1995 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 604 604
1996 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 604 604
1997 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 587 587
1998 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 510 510
1999 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 568 568
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 589 589
2001 509 3 10 9 1 n/a n/a 0 532
2002 511 4 12 12 0 n/a n/a 0 539
2003 511 4 12 12 0 n/a n/a 0 539
2004 524 4 11 17 1 n/a n/a 0 557
2005 342 4 11 18 1 n/a n/a 0 376
2006 498 10 13 18 0 n/a n/a 0 539
2007 557 9 9 22 3 n/a n/a 0 600
2008 506 4 11 29 4 n/a n/a 0 554
2009 420 7 8 34 1 n/a n/a 0 470
2010 421 2 4 41 2 n/a n/a 0 470
2011 394 1 4 40 1 0 10 0 450
2012 407 3 6 42 4 0 7 0 469
2013 407 6 6 40 3 0 8 0 470
2014 457 8 10 35 2 0 12 0 524
2015 446 9 15 52 1 1 11 0 535
2016 436 5 12 59 5 1 17 0 535
2017 363 7 7 49 3 0 28 0 457
2018 396 4 11 43 1 1 22 0 478
2019 438 4 10 50 1 1 26 0 530
2020 445 4 9 57 1 1 30 0 547
2021 384 9 5 49 0 2 20 0 469
2022 352 4 8 50 1 1 29 0 445
2023 359 6 11 50 0 0 31 0 457
2024 373 7 18 59 0 0 28 0 485

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 Mary McPherson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 593 31.0 19.1 7.6
1992 526 26.8 19.6 10.8
1993 508 24.4 20.8 8.9
1994 522 25.0 20.9 9.2
1995 604 30.8 19.6 5.5
1996 604 30.8 19.6 5.5
1997 587 30.3 19.4 7.7
1998 510 25.3 20.2 10.6
1999 568 29.0 19.6 12.7
2000 589 30.0 19.6 12.7
2001 532 24.2 22.0 14.8
2002 539 25.6 21.1 10.2
2003 539 25.6 21.1 10.2
2004 557 27.0 20.6 10.4
2005 376 17.5 21.5 12
2006 539 29.0 18.6 15.8
2007 600 27.8 21.6 13.5
2008 554 29.0 19.1 12.3
2009 470 26.3 17.8 16.8
2010 470 26.8 17.5 20.9
2011 450 25.2 17.8 22
2012 469 20.1 23.3 26.7
2013 470 21.8 21.4 24.9
2014 524 21.3 24.4 20.8
2015 535 23.0 23.2 20.4
2016 535 26.0 20.5 16.1
2017 457 21.5 21.2 20.6
2018 478 24.0 19.8 14
2019 530 24.5 21.5 13.6
2020 547 24.4 22.4 15.2
2021 469 24.1 19.4 10.9
2022 445 25.0 17.8 8.1
2023 457 26.0 17.5 21.7
2024 485 25.6 18.9 23.3

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 Mary McPherson Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 593 31.0 19.1 7.6
1992 526 26.8 19.6 10.8
1993 508 24.4 20.8 8.9
1994 522 25.0 20.9 9.2
1995 604 30.8 19.6 5.5
1996 604 30.8 19.6 5.5
1997 587 30.3 19.4 7.7
1998 510 25.3 20.2 10.6
1999 568 29.0 19.6 12.7
2000 589 30.0 19.6 12.7
2001 532 24.2 22.0 14.8
2002 539 25.6 21.1 10.2
2003 539 25.6 21.1 10.2
2004 557 27.0 20.6 10.4
2005 376 17.5 21.5 12
2006 539 29.0 18.6 15.8
2007 600 27.8 21.6 13.5
2008 554 29.0 19.1 12.3
2009 470 26.3 17.8 16.8
2010 470 26.8 17.5 20.9
2011 450 25.2 17.8 22
2012 469 20.1 23.3 26.7
2013 470 21.8 21.4 24.9
2014 524 21.3 24.4 20.8
2015 535 23.0 23.2 20.4
2016 535 26.0 20.5 16.1
2017 457 21.5 21.2 20.6
2018 478 24.0 19.8 14
2019 530 24.5 21.5 13.6
2020 547 24.4 22.4 15.2
2021 469 24.1 19.4 10.9
2022 445 25.0 17.8 8.1
2023 457 26.0 17.5 21.7
2024 485 25.6 18.9 23.3

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 Mary McPherson Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $609 (9.6%) $5,763 (90.4%) $6,373

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Mary McPherson 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 48th of 171 Elementary schoolsRanks 43rd of 252 Elementary schools
 11%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Mary McPherson Elementary)74.572.8
 1.7%
   3rd Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)67.367.2
 0.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Idaho)5349.4
 3.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mary McPherson Elementary)6059.8
 0.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)62.360.6
 1.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)50.545.2
 5.3%
4th Grade Math (Mary McPherson Elementary)47.259.2
 12%
   4th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)61.768
 6.3%
   4th Grade Math (Idaho)49.947.2
 2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Mary McPherson Elementary)58.463
 4.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)6365.3
 2.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)5248.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Math (Mary McPherson Elementary)64.268.4
 4.2%
   5th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)6063.6
 3.6%
   5th Grade Math (Idaho)44.941.5
 3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Mary McPherson Elementary)74.768.3
 6.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)69.369.7
 0.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)56.951.7
 5.2%
All Grades Math (Mary McPherson Elementary)6266.7
 4.7%
   All Grades Math (Joint School District No. 2)58.957.7
 1.2%
   All Grades Math (Idaho)44.441.5
 2.9%
All Grades Science (Mary McPherson Elementary)8043.6
 36.4%
   All Grades Science (Joint School District No. 2)73.357.5
 15.8%
   All Grades Science (Idaho)58.941.6
 17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Mary McPherson Elementary)64.663.7
 0.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)6868.7
 0.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)5552.2
 2.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students530457
 13.8%
African American46
 50%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian1011
 10%
Hispanic5050
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White438359
 18%
Two or More Races2631
 19.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients13.6%21.7%
 8.1%


Schools Near Mary McPherson Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Mary McPherson Elementary

Students at Mary McPherson Elementary are 77% White, 12% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% African American.

Mary McPherson Elementary ranks 70th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Mary McPherson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Victory Middle School
High : Meridian High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 485 students attended Mary McPherson Elementary.


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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.





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