Is Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary School ranks 130 th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 428 students attended Ponderosa Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary School?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary School are 72% White, 17% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Meridian Middle School High : Meridian High School

Ponderosa Elementary School

Summary:

Ponderosa Elementary School is a public elementary school in Meridian, Idaho, serving 428 students in grades PK-5. While the school is part of the highly-ranked Joint School District No. 2, it faces some challenges compared to nearby high-performing schools.

Ponderosa has a higher percentage of White students and a lower percentage of Hispanic students compared to the state average. It also has a higher chronic absenteeism rate and lower test scores in math and English language arts than the district and state averages. Additionally, Ponderosa has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and a higher student-teacher ratio than some nearby schools, such as Paramount Elementary and Prospect Elementary. These nearby schools have significantly higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism, and lower free and reduced lunch rates compared to Ponderosa.

Ponderosa's racial diversity has also declined in recent years, and the school's performance has fluctuated, ranging from 65th out of 188 Idaho elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 130th out of 301 in 2023-2024, with a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. While Ponderosa's female students have performed better than male students, the school's performance for low socioeconomic status students has been more average compared to other Idaho elementary schools. To improve student outcomes, Ponderosa may need to focus on addressing these areas of concern and learning from the successful practices of the higher-performing schools in the district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2950 North Naomi
Meridian, ID 83642-3936

(208) 855-4040

District: Joint School District No. 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
130^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,095

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Meridian Middle School
High:	Meridian High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.1

Number of students: 428

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.4%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.7%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Ponderosa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ponderosa Elementary School ranks better than 56.8% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 27^th among 33 ranked elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.52. (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 School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ponderosa Elementary School is $6,095, which is the lowest among 33 elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ponderosa Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ponderosa Elementary School 130^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Ponderosa Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Joint School District No. 2:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Ponderosa Elementary School.

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Your rating for Ponderosa Elementary School?

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Rank History for Ponderosa Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	65.06	104^th	335	69.0%
2009	61.67	126^th	349	63.9%
2010	60.12	148^th	356	58.4%
2011	53.07	195^th	359	45.7%
2012	43.44	234^th	354	33.9%
2013	48.74	213^th	357	40.3%
2015	50.90	111^th	226	50.9%
2016	40.31	146^th	240	39.2%
2017	47.14	158^th	292	45.9%
2018	58.04	100^th	254	60.6%
2019	44.52	94^th	171	45.0%
2021	52.77	73^rd	166	56.0%
2022	64.88	65^th	188	65.4%
2023	65.07	81^st	252	67.9%
2024	54.52	130^th	301	56.8%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	58.33	15^th	44	65.9%
2024	53.61	11^th	26	57.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	53.46	68^th	121	43.8%
2019	51.48	12^th	23	47.8%
2022	85.36	1^st	23	95.7%
2024	54.17	33^rd	69	52.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	58.82	53^rd	121	56.2%
2019	53.71	11^th	23	52.2%
2022	53.59	10^th	23	56.5%
2024	53.11	37^th	69	46.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	58.33	52^nd	135	61.5%

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: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a student
Saturday, October 8, 2011

i went to school hear for 5 years. (K-4) Then i moved to Nebraska, where my grades improved drastically. I am now a Freshman in high school, and I wish I had gone to Hyannis Area Schools all my life. In bigger schools, they just push you through like a bunch of sheep, at my school, the teachers come to games, know your parents, and maybe even went to school with your grandparents. Also, in smaller schools, you don't have to worry about drugs or alcohol that much.
Thank you for your time,
BreAnna Katlyn Wonacott Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ponderosa Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	588	6	6	19	1	n/a	n/a	620
2003	588	6	6	19	1	n/a	n/a	620
2004	735	8	9	12	1	n/a	n/a	765
2005	851	7	8	18	3	n/a	n/a	887
2006	604	3	9	29	3	n/a	n/a	648
2007	638	3	10	32	6	n/a	n/a	689
2008	608	12	10	32	2	n/a	n/a	664
2009	584	9	8	34	5	n/a	n/a	640
2010	572	7	11	66	5	n/a	n/a	661
2011	572	11	10	66	3	1	16	679
2012	529	9	8	51	4	1	21	623
2013	478	6	9	53	3	0	20	569
2014	528	6	5	62	2	2	31	636
2015	522	4	2	59	0	1	25	613
2016	490	9	2	66	2	0	30	599
2017	504	7	5	67	2	0	23	608
2018	523	6	4	57	4	2	28	624
2019	544	4	6	76	3	1	28	662
2020	607	4	7	90	2	1	28	739
2021	327	7	4	43	1	1	20	403
2022	364	8	1	49	2	3	32	459
2023	310	8	3	73	2	2	30	428

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	620	27.9	22.2	0
2003	620	27.9	22.2	0
2004	765	35.4	21.6	8.5
2005	887	41.7	21.3	11.5
2006	648	34.3	18.9	13.7
2007	689	32.0	21.5	19.7
2008	664	34.8	19.1	24.7
2009	640	29.6	21.6	26.6
2010	661	32.9	20.0	16.6
2011	679	32.1	21.1	30.2
2012	623	31.5	19.7	40.1
2013	569	28.5	19.9	40.4
2014	636	28.8	22.0	33
2015	613	30.0	20.4	31.6
2016	599	28.0	21.3	26.4
2017	608	27.9	21.7	33.6
2018	624	30.0	20.8	26.8
2019	662	27.0	24.4	26.3
2020	739	30.2	24.4	26
2021	403	21.7	18.4	25.6
2022	459	26.5	17.3	15
2023	428	25.0	17.1	32.7

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 School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	620	27.9	22.2	0
2003	620	27.9	22.2	0
2004	765	35.4	21.6	8.5
2005	887	41.7	21.3	11.5
2006	648	34.3	18.9	13.7
2007	689	32.0	21.5	19.7
2008	664	34.8	19.1	24.7
2009	640	29.6	21.6	26.6
2010	661	32.9	20.0	16.6
2011	679	32.1	21.1	30.2
2012	623	31.5	19.7	40.1
2013	569	28.5	19.9	40.4
2014	636	28.8	22.0	33
2015	613	30.0	20.4	31.6
2016	599	28.0	21.3	26.4
2017	608	27.9	21.7	33.6
2018	624	30.0	20.8	26.8
2019	662	27.0	24.4	26.3
2020	739	30.2	24.4	26
2021	403	21.7	18.4	25.6
2022	459	26.5	17.3	15
2023	428	25.0	17.1	32.7

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 School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$609 (10.0%)	$5,486 (90.0%)	$6,095

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ponderosa 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 94^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 81^st of 252 Elementary schools	22.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary School)	65.4	56.5	8.9%
3rd Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	67.3	67.2	0.1%
3rd Grade Math (Idaho)	53	49.4	3.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary School)	49	55	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	62.3	60.6	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	50.5	45.2	5.3%
4th Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary School)	49.2	53.4	4.2%
4th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	61.7	68	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Idaho)	49.9	47.2	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary School)	55.7	57.4	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	63	65.3	2.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	52	48.4	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Ponderosa Elementary School)	42.5	43	0.5%
5th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	60	63.6	3.6%
5th Grade Math (Idaho)	44.9	41.5	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary School)	57.5	61.1	3.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	69.3	69.7	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	56.9	51.7	5.2%
All Grades Math (Ponderosa Elementary School)	51.9	51	0.9%
All Grades Math (Joint School District No. 2)	58.9	57.7	1.2%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades Science (Ponderosa Elementary School)	66.7	43.1	23.6%
All Grades Science (Joint School District No. 2)	73.3	57.5	15.8%
All Grades Science (Idaho)	58.9	41.6	17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ponderosa Elementary School)	54.3	57.9	3.6%
All Grades English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	68	68.7	0.7%
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	662	428	35.3%
African American	4	8	100%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	6	3	50%
Hispanic	76	73	3.9%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	544	310	43%
Two or More Races	28	30	7.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.3%	32.7%	6.4%

Schools Near Ponderosa 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 7th 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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ponderosa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2950 North Naomi	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4040	428	25	17.1	32.7%	310 (72.4%)	8 (1.9%)	73 (17.1%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	30 (7.0%)	54.5	130^th of 301 public elementary schools	56.8%		65.1	81^st of 252 public elementary schools	67.9%	49	54.2	50.7	41.0		48.4	45.0	53.6	53.0	57.9	55.1	$6,095	$609	$5,486
Chaparral Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1155 North Deer Creek Lane	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4180	537	32	16.5	32.6%	394 (73.4%)	11 (2.0%)	77 (14.3%)	18 (3.4%)	2 (0.4%)	8 (1.5%)	27 (5.0%)	58.1	119^th of 301 public elementary schools	60.5%		61.9	89^th of 252 public elementary schools	64.7%	30	58.9	69.1	42.0		56.0	32.6	57.8	58.2	48.4	54.6	$7,716	$609	$7,107
Doral Academy Of Idaho	Public, Charter	K-8	2511 West Cherry Lane	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Doral Academy Of Idaho Inc.	Yes	No	No	No	(208) 332-6800	261	17	15.5		195 (74.7%)	3 (1.1%)	46 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.5%)	37.4	189^th of 301 public elementary schools	37.2%					(n/a)	46.7		43.6	25.0	34.9	44.6	37.8	37.1	53.9	48.0
Barbara Morgan Stem Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	1825 Chateau Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	No	(208) 855-4430	421	24	17.5	21.6%	316 (75.1%)	4 (1.0%)	72 (17.1%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	84.3	46^th of 301 public elementary schools	84.7%		89.5	29^th of 252 public elementary schools	88.5%	17	77.5	55.4	65.8		65.7	67.1	76.4	64.7	67.1	69.2	$6,669	$609	$6,060
Hunter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2051 West McMillan Road	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4285	517	27	19.2	9.9%	425 (82.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (12.8%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.7%)	91.7	22^nd of 301 public elementary schools	92.7%		93.1	16^th of 252 public elementary schools	93.7%	6	80.0	71.1	80.2		77.0	61.3	71.3	68.0	83.2	74.6	$6,295	$609	$5,686
Pleasant View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4600 West Gondola Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 332-6800	616	31	19.5	6.8%	493 (80.0%)	4 (0.6%)	71 (11.5%)	10 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	33 (5.4%)	85.7	41^st of 301 public elementary schools	86.4%		92.9	17^th of 252 public elementary schools	93.3%	24	64.6	70.9	69.1		68.1	67.4	57.5	70.9	78.7	68.4
Willow Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6195 North Long Lake Way	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4410	545	31	17.8	15.4%	454 (83.3%)	1 (0.2%)	56 (10.3%)	7 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.6%)	83.9	48^th of 301 public elementary schools	84.1%		92.5	19^th of 252 public elementary schools	92.5%	29	65.8	65.7	59.2		63.4	58.2	71.9	67.3	73.4	70.8	$6,607	$609	$5,998
Peregrine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1860 Waltman Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 888-1384	429	30	14.1	38.0%	325 (75.8%)	10 (2.3%)	59 (13.8%)	5 (1.2%)	4 (0.9%)	4 (0.9%)	22 (5.1%)	54.3	132^nd of 301 public elementary schools	56.1%		75.8	60^th of 252 public elementary schools	76.2%	72	49.3	54.4	41.3		49.1		47.1	54.0	65.0	54.8	$7,460	$1,032	$6,428
Paramount Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 West Producer Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4120	501	26	19.2	10.8%	395 (78.8%)	5 (1.0%)	54 (10.8%)	13 (2.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.2%)	97.8	2^nd of 301 public elementary schools	99.3%		98.3	1^st of 252 public elementary schools	99.6%	1	86.9	83.3	85.8		85.4	76.8	86.4	84.4	85.7	85.5	$6,756	$609	$6,147
Meridian Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1035 Northwest 1st Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 855-4335	448	30	14.7	66.5%	308 (68.8%)	6 (1.3%)	104 (23.2%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.4%)	49.7	150^th of 301 public elementary schools	50.2%		44.5	147^th of 252 public elementary schools	41.7%	3	54.7	45.7	43.3		48.1					49.7	$7,537	$1,263	$6,274

Ponderosa Elementary School

Ponderosa Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Joint School District No. 2:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ponderosa Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Ponderosa Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Ponderosa Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ponderosa Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Ponderosa Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ponderosa Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Ponderosa Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary School

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