Liberty Elementary School

Q: Is Liberty Elementary School a good school?

Liberty Elementary School ranks 32 nd of 50 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Liberty Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bismarck, North Dakota, serving 496 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. It is part of the Bismarck 1 School District, which is ranked 9 out of 20 in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Liberty Elementary consistently outperforms the Bismarck 1 district and the state of North Dakota in both mathematics and reading proficiency on the NDSA exams. In the 2023-2024 school year, 54% of Liberty students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 46% for the Bismarck 1 district and 41% for the state. In reading, 36% of Liberty students were proficient or better, compared to 49% for the district and 45% for the state. This trend of higher academic performance has been consistent over the past several years, with Liberty ranking among the top 10-20 elementary schools in the state. However, the school has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 88.91% of students identifying as White, which is significantly higher than the racial diversity seen in some nearby schools like Northridge Elementary (68.24% White) and Robert Place Miller Elementary (62.63% White).

Liberty Elementary School also stands out for its low chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 1% to 3% over the past several years, which is notably lower than some nearby schools like Pioneer Elementary (15% chronic absenteeism) and Will-Moore Elementary (20% chronic absenteeism). Additionally, the school has a very low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 2.24% to 5.44% over the past three school years, which is significantly lower than the rates seen in some nearby schools like Pioneer Elementary (65.73%) and Will-Moore Elementary (65.22%).

Detail:

Public K-5

5400 Onyx Dr
Bismarck, ND 58503

(701) 323-4320

District: Bismarck 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
32^nd of 50 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,678

Students who attend Liberty Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	Century High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 496

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.9%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Asian:

2.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 5.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Liberty Elementary School ranks worse than 64% of elementary schools in North Dakota. It also ranks 4^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Bismarck 1 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.7. (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 Racial makeup is: White (88.9%), two or more races (5.2%), Asian (2.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 5.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Liberty Elementary School is 16.5. 15 elementary schools in the Bismarck 1 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Liberty Elementary School employs 29.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Liberty Elementary School is $11,678. 14 elementary schools in the Bismarck 1 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Liberty Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Liberty Elementary School 32^nd of 50 North Dakota public elementary schools. (See Liberty Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Bismarck 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Bismarck 1 9^th of 20 North Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Liberty Elementary School.

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Rank History for Liberty Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Liberty Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ND State Percentile
2015	68.11	51^st	194	73.7%
2016	60.55	72^nd	207	65.2%
2017	63.61	61^st	202	69.8%
2018	75.71	12^th	46	73.9%
2019	68.78	21^st	42	50.0%
2021	79.22	10^th	39	74.4%
2022	80.54	9^th	47	80.9%
2023	67.30	17^th	48	64.6%
2024	44.70	32^nd	50	36.0%

See the entire list of North Dakota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for White students at Liberty Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	69.32	9^th	22	59.1%
2019	52.41	14^th	22	36.4%
2021	73.61	6^th	17	64.7%
2022	68.79	8^th	23	65.2%
2023	55.07	12^th	18	33.3%
2024	40.36	14^th	18	22.2%

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

Data source: test scores: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, 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: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, March 6, 2021

Rating 1 out of 5
Their special needs services were the worst I've seen. They just didn't care about my child or their needs. They didn't follow our IEP. The people in charge will make all kinds of promises but don't follow up or follow through on things. As a parent, it was super frustrating to deal with. We switched schools and I wish I had done it sooner because my child was getting behind in school due to the lack of caring.

The best thing about our experience at Liberty was Mr. Ringdahl and the music teacher. Both are super talented and wonderful with parents and kids. We will miss seeing them. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, December 20, 2019

Excellent administrators. Good teachers who care about the kids and a good gifted program if your child qualifies. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Liberty Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	346	2	1	2	7	6	364
2015	499	2	3	13	9	11	537
2016	538	2	4	15	9	12	580
2017	588	9	6	11	8	15	637
2018	567	6	8	9	8	18	616
2019	571	8	8	5	7	15	614
2020	577	9	9	4	5	19	623
2021	529	9	10	8	7	26	589
2022	565	10	13	6	5	25	624
2023	441	4	12	7	6	26	496

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 Liberty Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	364	21.6	16.8	3.3
2015	537	34.0	15.7	3.9
2016	580	36.0	16.1	3.4
2017	637	38.7	16.4	4.7
2018	616	37.7	16.3	3.7
2019	614	36.7	16.7	4.4
2020	623	35.1	17.7	3.7
2021	589	35.6	16.5	3.6
2022	624	36.9	16.8	2.2
2023	496	29.9	16.5	5.4

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 Liberty Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	364	21.6	16.8	3.3
2015	537	34.0	15.7	3.9
2016	580	36.0	16.1	3.4
2017	637	38.7	16.4	4.7
2018	616	37.7	16.3	3.7
2019	614	36.7	16.7	4.4
2020	623	35.1	17.7	3.7
2021	589	35.6	16.5	3.6
2022	624	36.9	16.8	2.2
2023	496	29.9	16.5	5.4

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 Liberty Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$433 (4.3%)	$9,596 (95.7%)	$10,029
2020	$523 (4.8%)	$10,463 (95.2%)	$10,986
2021	$1,140 (9.2%)	$11,207 (90.8%)	$12,347
2022	$1,497 (12.8%)	$10,181 (87.2%)	$11,678

Data source: North Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Liberty 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 21^st of 42 Elementary schools	Ranks 17^th of 48 Elementary schools	14.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades Mathematics (Liberty Elementary School)	61	63	2%
All Grades Mathematics (Bismarck 1)	47	45	2%
All Grades Mathematics (North Dakota)	45	39	6%
All Grades Reading (Liberty Elementary School)	49	43	6%
All Grades Reading (Bismarck 1)	48	49	1%
All Grades Reading (North Dakota)	47	44	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	614	496	19.2%
African American	8	4	50%
American Indian	7	6	14.3%
Asian	8	12	50%
Hispanic	5	7	40%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	571	441	22.8%
Two or More Races	15	26	73.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	4.4%	5.4%	1%

Schools Near Liberty Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NDSA Mathematics (2024)	NDSA Reading (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	NDSA Mathematics All Grades	NDSA Reading All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-5	5400 Onyx Dr	Bismarck	58503	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4320	496	30	16.5	5.4%	441 (88.9%)	4 (0.8%)	7 (1.4%)	12 (2.4%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.2%)	44.7	32^nd of 50 public elementary schools	36.0%		67.3	17^th of 48 public elementary schools	64.6%	15	54.0	36.0	$11,678	$1,497	$10,181
Elk Ridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	4401 Ivory Lane	Bismarck	58503	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(701) 323-4230	482	29	16.6	1.9%	445 (92.3%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.5%)	12 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	98.5	1^st of 50 public elementary schools	98.0%		98.7	1^st of 48 public elementary schools	97.9%		73.0	70.0
Centennial Elementary School	Public	K-5	2800 Ithica Dr	Bismarck	58503	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4290	382	28	13.4	23.0%	297 (77.7%)	11 (2.9%)	12 (3.1%)	11 (2.9%)	20 (5.2%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (7.9%)	85	9^th of 50 public elementary schools	82.0%					(n/a)	62.0	56.0	$13,159	$1,489	$11,670
Grimsrud Elementary School	Public	K-5	716 W St Benedict Dr	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 323-4150	156	16	9.8	44.9%	93 (59.6%)	11 (7.1%)	15 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	12 (7.7%)	19 (12.2%)								(n/a)			$12,862	$2,201	$10,661
Northridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	1727 N 3rd St	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 323-4210	425	36	11.6	30.8%	290 (68.2%)	19 (4.5%)	18 (4.2%)	11 (2.6%)	29 (6.8%)	6 (1.4%)	52 (12.2%)								(n/a)			$14,390	$2,479	$11,911
Robert Place Miller Elementary School	Public	K-5	1989 N 20th St	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 323-4170	479	34	14.1	35.9%	300 (62.6%)	43 (9.0%)	33 (6.9%)	5 (1.0%)	45 (9.4%)	4 (0.8%)	49 (10.2%)	31.6	38^th of 50 public elementary schools	24.0%		45.9	27^th of 48 public elementary schools	43.8%	11	41.0	40.0	$14,057	$2,496	$11,561
Pioneer Elementary School	Public	K-5	1400 Braman Ave	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 323-4220	213	19	11.3	65.7%	146 (68.5%)	6 (2.8%)	17 (8.0%)	2 (0.9%)	18 (8.5%)	2 (0.9%)	22 (10.3%)								(n/a)			$15,700	$3,139	$12,561
Highland Acres Elementary School	Public	K-5	1200 Prairie Dr	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4160	101	7	13.7	7.9%	93 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.0%)	4 (4.0%)								(n/a)			$13,116	$1,492	$11,624
Will-Moore Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 E Ave E	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 323-4270	207	21	9.8	65.2%	100 (48.3%)	6 (2.9%)	30 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (16.4%)	1 (0.5%)	36 (17.4%)								(n/a)			$17,134	$3,622	$13,512
Bismarck Elementary Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	K-5	806 N Washington St	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 323-4101	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)			$3,644	$1,960	$1,684

Frequently Asked Questions about Liberty Elementary School

What district is Liberty Elementary School in?

Bismarck 1

How many students attend Liberty Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 496 students attended Liberty Elementary School.

Is Liberty Elementary School a good school?

Liberty Elementary School ranks 32^nd of 50 North Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Liberty Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : Century High School

What is the racial makeup of Liberty Elementary School?

Students at Liberty Elementary School are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

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.