Penacook Elementary School

Summary:

Penacook Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Penacook, New Hampshire, with a student population of 330 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school faces several challenges, including consistently low academic performance, a high percentage of white students, and a growing economically disadvantaged population.

Penacook Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom half of New Hampshire elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past 4 years, indicating below-average performance. The school's proficiency rates in Mathematics and Reading are significantly lower than the state and Merrimack Valley School District averages. However, the school's special education students have performed relatively better, ranking 24th out of 59 New Hampshire elementary schools in the 2021-2022 school year.

Compared to nearby schools in the Merrimack Valley School District, such as Webster Elementary School and Loudon Elementary School, Penacook Elementary School's performance is generally lower. When compared to elementary schools in the Concord School District, such as Abbot-Downing School and Christa McAuliffe School, Penacook Elementary School's performance is significantly lower.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 60 Village St.
       Penacook, NH  03303


(603) 753-4891

District: Merrimack Valley School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
205th of 234 New Hampshire Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,138 Help


Students who attend Penacook Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Merrimack Valley Middle School
High:    Merrimack Valley High School

Student/teacher ratio:  10.4 Help
Number of students:  315

Racial breakdown:

White:
84.4%
Hispanic:
5.4%
Asian:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  42.9% Help


 See top rated New Hampshire elementary schools

 Compare Penacook Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Penacook Elementary School ranks worse than 87.6% of elementary schools in New Hampshire. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Merrimack Valley School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.86. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Penacook Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Merrimack Valley School District. Racial makeup is: White (84.4%), Hispanic (5.4%), Asian (5.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 42.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Merrimack Valley School District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penacook Elementary School is 10.4, which is the 2nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Merrimack Valley School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Penacook Elementary School employs 30.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penacook Elementary School is $17,138, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Merrimack Valley School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Penacook Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Penacook Elementary School 205th of 234 New Hampshire public elementary schools. (See Penacook Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Merrimack Valley School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrimack Valley School District 113th of 163 New Hampshire school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Penacook Elementary School?

Rank History for Penacook Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Penacook Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 67.02 74th 238 68.9%
2007 36.91 170th 237 28.3%
2008 34.44 180th 236 23.7%
2009 41.66 163rd 240 32.1%
2010 56.10 116th 242 52.1%
2011 66.10 82nd 237 65.4%
2012 38.99 165th 241 31.5%
2013 35.37 183rd 241 24.1%
2014 43.49 161st 242 33.5%
2015 32.93 152nd 206 26.2%
2016 48.67 141st 244 42.2%
2017 50.66 119th 229 48.0%
2018 35.08 169th 231 26.8%
2019 25.30 184th 231 20.3%
2021 13.15 200th 211 5.2%
2022 24.55 189th 233 18.9%
2023 16.73 211th 237 11.0%
2024 14.86 205th 234 12.4%
See the entire list of New Hampshire Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Penacook Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.50 29th 52 44.2%
2019 36.48 39th 60 35.0%
2021 29.17 30th 34 11.8%
2022 52.29 24th 59 59.3%
2023 48.96 31st 70 55.7%
2024 23.32 62nd 71 12.7%
See the entire list of Best New Hampshire Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at Penacook Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.81 150th 190 21.1%
2019 23.92 163rd 192 15.1%
2021 16.94 147th 160 8.1%
2022 29.51 143rd 187 23.5%
2023 10.03 185th 193 4.1%
2024 15.87 162nd 187 13.4%
See the entire list of Best New Hampshire Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Penacook Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.96 127th 195 34.9%
2019 30.80 142nd 195 27.2%
2021 13.36 156th 168 7.1%
2022 21.19 165th 194 14.9%
2023 27.27 154th 199 22.6%
2024 18.46 168th 193 13.0%
See the entire list of Best New Hampshire Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Penacook Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NH State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.05 165th 227 27.3%
2019 24.20 187th 229 18.3%
2021 17.92 183rd 209 12.4%
2022 24.14 188th 229 17.9%
2023 14.84 212th 233 9.0%
2024 15.80 199th 228 12.7%
See the entire list of Best New Hampshire Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: New Hampshire 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.

Penacook Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: New Hampshire Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
75%

0%

0%

0%

25%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Saturday, March 27, 2021

Open Quote It is a real shame for the whole school and the community that it allows one music teacher to degrade models of students with bad grades. This problem has existed for years and nothing has been done to examine the criteria on which it evaluates students. The only solution is to petition the parents or find legal action to prevent this from happening. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, May 5, 2016

Open Quote Couldn't be happier with PES! Teachers, staff, administration, special education- all of it is wonderful! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Penacook Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 221 2 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 224
1992 313 1 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 319
1993 288 1 5 4 2 n/a n/a 0 300
1994 308 0 3 4 3 n/a n/a 0 318
1995 344 2 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 349
1996 344 2 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 349
1997 318 2 2 4 0 n/a n/a 0 326
1998 334 2 1 5 1 n/a n/a 0 343
1999 313 2 1 0 1 n/a n/a 0 317
2000 306 2 1 7 1 n/a n/a 0 317
2001 306 2 2 3 1 n/a n/a 0 314
2002 342 7 8 0 0 n/a n/a 0 357
2003 342 7 8 0 0 n/a n/a 0 357
2004 348 9 6 5 0 n/a n/a 0 368
2005 325 11 4 5 0 n/a n/a 0 345
2006 383 8 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 392
2007 361 10 4 3 0 n/a n/a 0 378
2008 364 5 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 373
2009 387 6 7 0 0 n/a n/a 0 400
2010 379 5 7 2 0 0 0 0 393
2011 368 5 7 7 3 0 0 0 390
2012 377 9 13 9 2 0 0 0 410
2013 368 10 8 8 4 0 0 0 398
2014 377 10 11 9 4 0 0 0 411
2015 406 14 10 8 5 0 0 0 443
2016 372 17 8 11 3 0 0 0 411
2017 350 12 8 9 1 0 0 0 380
2018 334 11 14 9 1 0 7 0 376
2019 322 11 15 0 1 0 3 0 352
2020 310 11 15 7 1 0 3 0 347
2021 267 7 11 13 0 0 6 0 304
2022 266 9 15 13 0 0 8 0 311
2023 284 8 14 16 0 0 8 0 330
2024 266 8 16 17 0 0 8 0 315

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 Penacook Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 224 11.8 18.9 7.6
1992 319 14.4 22.1 11.3
1993 300 16.4 18.3 11.7
1994 318 16.0 19.9 16.7
1995 349 17.0 20.5 16.6
1996 349 17.0 20.5 16.6
1997 326 18.8 17.3 12.6
1998 343 20.3 16.9 7.3
1999 317 20.3 15.6 10.7
2000 317 21.3 14.9 17.7
2001 314 21.3 14.7 17.2
2002 357 23.3 15.3 15.7
2003 357 23.3 15.3 15.7
2004 368 23.2 15.9 19
2005 345 23.6 14.6 17.4
2006 392 23.3 16.8 17.3
2007 378 24.6 15.4 20.9
2008 373 26.8 13.9 19.6
2009 400 24.2 16.5 24.8
2010 393 25.4 15.4 28
2011 390 28.7 13.5 28.5
2012 410 23.9 17.1 29.5
2013 398 27.6 14.4 24.4
2014 411 27.0 15.2 32.8
2015 443 28.0 15.8 40.6
2016 411 30.0 13.7 37.7
2017 380 26.5 14.3 32.6
2018 376 29.0 12.9 35.9
2019 352 32.9 10.6 32.1
2020 347 31.0 11.1 28.8
2021 304 30.5 9.9 18.1
2022 311 31.0 10.0 33.8
2023 330 27.7 11.9 37.6
2024 315 30.1 10.4 42.9

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 Penacook Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 224 11.8 18.9 7.6
1992 319 14.4 22.1 11.3
1993 300 16.4 18.3 11.7
1994 318 16.0 19.9 16.7
1995 349 17.0 20.5 16.6
1996 349 17.0 20.5 16.6
1997 326 18.8 17.3 12.6
1998 343 20.3 16.9 7.3
1999 317 20.3 15.6 10.7
2000 317 21.3 14.9 17.7
2001 314 21.3 14.7 17.2
2002 357 23.3 15.3 15.7
2003 357 23.3 15.3 15.7
2004 368 23.2 15.9 19
2005 345 23.6 14.6 17.4
2006 392 23.3 16.8 17.3
2007 378 24.6 15.4 20.9
2008 373 26.8 13.9 19.6
2009 400 24.2 16.5 24.8
2010 393 25.4 15.4 28
2011 390 28.7 13.5 28.5
2012 410 23.9 17.1 29.5
2013 398 27.6 14.4 24.4
2014 411 27.0 15.2 32.8
2015 443 28.0 15.8 40.6
2016 411 30.0 13.7 37.7
2017 380 26.5 14.3 32.6
2018 376 29.0 12.9 35.9
2019 352 32.9 10.6 32.1
2020 347 31.0 11.1 28.8
2021 304 30.5 9.9 18.1
2022 311 31.0 10.0 33.8
2023 330 27.7 11.9 37.6
2024 315 30.1 10.4 42.9

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 Penacook Elementary School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $17,138

Data source: New Hampshire Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Penacook 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 184th of 231 Elementary schoolsRanks 211th of 237 Elementary schools
 9.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Penacook Elementary School)3840
 2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)6654
 12%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (New Hampshire)5752
 5%
3rd Grade Reading (Penacook Elementary School)3317
 16%
   3rd Grade Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)5443
 11%
   3rd Grade Reading (New Hampshire)5246
 6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Penacook Elementary School)3328
 5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)4240
 2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (New Hampshire)5251
 1%
4th Grade Reading (Penacook Elementary School)4222
 20%
   4th Grade Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)4834
 14%
   4th Grade Reading (New Hampshire)5550
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Penacook Elementary School)3428
 6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)4133
 8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (New Hampshire)4439
 5%
5th Grade Reading (Penacook Elementary School)5739
 18%
   5th Grade Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)5645
 11%
   5th Grade Reading (New Hampshire)5754
 3%
5th Grade Science (Penacook Elementary School)3523
 12%
   5th Grade Science (Merrimack Valley School District)3929
 10%
   5th Grade Science (New Hampshire)3836
 2%
All Grades Mathematics (Penacook Elementary School)3532
 3%
   All Grades Mathematics (Merrimack Valley School District)4336
 7%
   All Grades Mathematics (New Hampshire)4842
 6%
All Grades Reading (Penacook Elementary School)4526
 19%
   All Grades Reading (Merrimack Valley School District)5144
 7%
   All Grades Reading (New Hampshire)5652
 4%
All Grades Science (Penacook Elementary School)3523
 12%
   All Grades Science (Merrimack Valley School District)3827
 11%
   All Grades Science (New Hampshire)4037
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students352330
 6.3%
African American118
 27.3%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian1514
 6.7%
Hispanic016
Pacific Islander00
White322284
 11.8%
Two or More Races38
 166.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients32.1%37.6%
 5.5%


Schools Near Penacook Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Penacook Elementary School

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

Middle : Merrimack Valley Middle School
High : Merrimack Valley High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 315 students attended Penacook Elementary School.

Students at Penacook Elementary School are 84% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

Penacook Elementary School ranks in the bottom 12.4% of New Hampshire elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Hampshire 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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