Willow Creek Elementary School

Q: Is Willow Creek Elementary School a good school?

Willow Creek Elementary School ranks 48 th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Willow Creek Elementary School is a public elementary school in Meridian, Idaho, serving 545 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Joint School District No. 2, which is ranked 10th out of 77 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Willow Creek Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages in ISAT test scores for Math, Science, and English Language Arts, with 63.4% of students proficient or better in ISAT Math compared to 57.5% for the district and 42.2% for the state. The school has a higher percentage of White students (83.3%) compared to nearby schools, and it has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Idaho elementary schools for the past several years, including a 5-star rating and 19th place ranking out of 252 schools in 2022-2023. Willow Creek also demonstrates strong academic outcomes across genders, ranking among the top Idaho elementary schools for both female and male student performance.

While Willow Creek Elementary has seen fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates and an increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 17.8 to 19.2 over the past three years, may contribute to its academic success. When compared to nearby schools, Willow Creek generally outperforms its peers, with the exception of Galileo Stem Academy and Paramount Elementary, which also demonstrate strong academic outcomes and could serve as valuable benchmarks and potential collaboration partners for Willow Creek Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

6195 North Long Lake Way
Meridian, ID 83646-0001

(208) 350-4410

District: Joint School District No. 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
48^th of 301 Idaho Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,607

Students who attend Willow Creek Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sawtooth Middle School
High:	Rocky Mountain High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 545

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.3%

Hispanic:

10.3%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 15.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Willow Creek Elementary School ranks better than 84.1% of elementary schools in Idaho. It also ranks 18^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 83.9. (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 Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek Elementary School is $6,607. 21 elementary schools in the Joint School District No. 2 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Willow Creek Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Willow Creek Elementary School 48^th of 301 Idaho public elementary schools. (See Willow Creek Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

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:

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Rank History for Willow Creek Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Willow Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2017	48.47	151^st	292	48.3%
2018	53.02	117^th	254	53.9%
2019	70.74	46^th	171	73.1%
2021	75.02	39^th	166	76.5%
2022	79.43	36^th	188	80.9%
2023	92.53	19^th	252	92.5%
2024	83.90	48^th	301	84.1%

See the entire list of Idaho Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Willow Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2019	66.97	8^th	23	65.2%
2022	78.28	4^th	23	82.6%
2023	90.17	4^th	16	75.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Willow Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile
2019	93.27	1^st	23	95.7%
2022	89.47	2^nd	23	91.3%
2023	95.89	1^st	16	93.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Willow Creek Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	86.38	24^th	135	82.2%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, November 14, 2017

This is the third year I've had a child at Willow Creek and I have been pleased. The staff is very friendly and the Principal participates in activities for the school in a fun way (i.e. dressing up as a clown and making balloon animals at the school fair & Fist Bump Fridays, which the kids think is the best thing ever). They make learning something that the kids want to do, not just have to do. The teachers are passionate about helping the kids learn and grow. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, February 19, 2017

A really great community school. There is balance of fun and learning without too much pressure or focus on testing. They are still fairly new and PTA is growing. My child has really grown academically and socially this year. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Willow Creek Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	247	1	2	27	1	2	7	287
2016	415	1	4	43	4	4	12	483
2017	459	2	6	58	6	3	15	549
2018	490	3	7	58	7	6	16	587
2019	598	2	6	62	4	4	22	698
2020	592	2	7	68	3	2	15	689
2021	416	1	5	44	3	1	16	486
2022	477	1	5	58	3	1	22	567
2023	454	1	7	56	2	0	25	545

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 Willow Creek Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	287	13.0	22.0	22
2016	483	24.0	20.1	14.5
2017	549	25.8	21.2	17.5
2018	587	29.9	19.6	14.8
2019	698	30.5	22.8	12.9
2020	689	32.0	21.5	10.6
2021	486	25.9	18.7	8
2022	567	29.5	19.2	6.7
2023	545	30.5	17.8	15.4

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 Willow Creek Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	287	13.0	22.0	22
2016	483	24.0	20.1	14.5
2017	549	25.8	21.2	17.5
2018	587	29.9	19.6	14.8
2019	698	30.5	22.8	12.9
2020	689	32.0	21.5	10.6
2021	486	25.9	18.7	8
2022	567	29.5	19.2	6.7
2023	545	30.5	17.8	15.4

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 Willow Creek Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$609 (9.2%)	$5,998 (90.8%)	$6,607

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Willow Creek 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 46^th of 171 Elementary schools	Ranks 19^th of 252 Elementary schools	19.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Willow Creek Elementary School)	68.4	83.7	15.3%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	66.4	84.8	18.4%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	72.9	71.9	1%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	64	70.8	6.8%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	54.4	60.7	6.3%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	56	71.4	15.4%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	65.1	72.4	7.3%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	69.9	55.9	14%
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 (Willow Creek Elementary School)	61.9	75.9	14%
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	698	545	21.9%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	6	7	16.7%
Hispanic	62	56	9.7%
Pacific Islander	4	0	100%
White	598	454	24.1%
Two or More Races	22	25	13.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	12.9%	15.4%	2.5%

Schools Near Willow Creek 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 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
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
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
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
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
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
Prospect Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 North Red Horse Way	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4000	532	29	18.2	14.8%	417 (78.4%)	9 (1.7%)	47 (8.8%)	19 (3.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (6.2%)	93.9	9^th of 301 public elementary schools	97.0%		94.6	7^th of 252 public elementary schools	97.2%	2		83.1				75.4	66.0	68.2	85.0	81.2		78.4	$6,599	$609	$5,990
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
Galileo Stem Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	4735 West Saguaro Drive	Eagle	83616	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	No	(208) 350-4105	753	36	20.7	5.8%	654 (86.9%)	2 (0.3%)	64 (8.5%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	22 (2.9%)	93.9	10^th of 301 public elementary schools	96.7%		97.4	2^nd of 252 public elementary schools	99.2%	8	81.3	75.8	65.3	72.6		77.2	80.2	71.5	75.8	76.9	90.0	82.6	$6,708	$609	$6,099
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
Discovery Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 East Leigh Field Drive	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4090	463	26	17.8	19.7%	372 (80.3%)	7 (1.5%)	45 (9.7%)	20 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	93.2	15^th of 301 public elementary schools	95.0%		91.4	24^th of 252 public elementary schools	90.5%	9	84.2	73.3	67.7			74.6	68.9	82.8	74.4	75.6		77.3	$7,320	$609	$6,711

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Creek Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Willow Creek Elementary School?

Students at Willow Creek Elementary School are 83% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Willow Creek Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 545 students attended Willow Creek Elementary School.

Is Willow Creek Elementary School a good school?

Willow Creek Elementary School ranks 48^th of 301 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Willow Creek Elementary School in?

Joint School District No. 2

What schools do graduates of Willow Creek Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Willow Creek Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sawtooth Middle School
High : Rocky Mountain High 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.