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Ponderosa Elementary

Q: Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 1760 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

1760^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of California elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa Elementary is a consistent, 3-star K-5 public school serving 359 students in the South San Francisco Unified district, where it reliably outperforms both district and state averages in English and Math.

The school stands out for its effective management of chronic absenteeism, which it has dramatically reduced to 11.7%, and for achieving strong academic results relative to its resources and student demographics. While not the top performer in the area like nearby Monte Verde Elementary or Buri Buri Elementary, Ponderosa significantly outperforms other schools with similar challenges, such as Los Cerritos Elementary and Martin Elementary, demonstrating notable efficiency and instructional effectiveness.

Performance is particularly strong in 4th grade, and the school has a history of excellence in supporting English Language Learners. Parents can expect a stable, solid educational environment where students show steady growth, though recent data suggests a need to watch support for economically disadvantaged students as the school's population changes.

359

Students ?

22.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,503

Per pupil spending ?

35.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

295 Ponderosa Rd.
South San Francisco, CA 94080-4218

(650) 877-8825

District: South San Francisco Unified

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Alta Loma Middle
High:	South San Francisco High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.5%

Asian:

28.4%

White:

13.9%

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Compare Ponderosa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 60th percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (50% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the California median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg43%

California avg41%

1,760^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 9Elementary Schools in the South San Francisco Unified

675^th of 1,543South San Francisco Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	1760 of 5857	70.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	1912 of 5869	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.2	1748 of 5859	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	69.3	1634 of 5883	72.2%	★★★★☆
2021	61.7	487 of 1417	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.0	2079 of 5789	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	1697 of 5662	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	53.9	2330 of 5692	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.1	2039 of 5614	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.2	2229 of 5611	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	75.1	1316 of 5530	76.2%	★★★★☆
2012	75.2	1258 of 5390	76.7%	★★★★☆
2011	76.4	1188 of 5377	77.9%	★★★★☆
2010	78.5	1071 of 5314	79.8%	★★★★☆
2009	63.2	1758 of 5193	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	55.3	2089 of 5113	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.5	1571 of 5113	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	74.6	1155 of 4818	76.0%	★★★★☆
2005	75.7	1104 of 4822	77.1%	★★★★☆
2004	61.0	1664 of 4809	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	80.2	157 of 1205	87.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	41.8	1016 of 2227	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.9	1010 of 2585	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.4	304 of 2128	85.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	52.4	1076 of 3245	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.3	446 of 3311	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.4	348 of 3246	89.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.5	1720 of 5597	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.5	1740 of 5612	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	1585 of 5609	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	1006 of 5635	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	54.4	519 of 1267	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.6	1862 of 5492	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.2	1361 of 5413	74.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.8	1823 of 5107	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.1	2462 of 5107	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.5	2383 of 5087	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.7	1442 of 5084	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	58.0	1794 of 4963	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.2	1132 of 4830	76.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	47.7	2611 of 5460	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.2	3048 of 5517	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	67.0	1388 of 5363	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	80.0	759 of 5264	85.6%	★★★★☆
2021	48.4	504 of 1110	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.8	1845 of 5173	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	74.9	927 of 5084	81.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.1	1782 of 5628	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.7	1999 of 5643	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	1835 of 5638	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.5	2316 of 5663	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.5	405 of 1272	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.8	2210 of 5510	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.5	2047 of 5431	62.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	49.1	942 of 2420	61.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	1272 of 2598	51.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2024)87th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2025)69th percentile~ school

Male (2025)68th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)67th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)64th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2023)61st percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2022)54th percentile-18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)52nd percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy55%+6 vs state

Mathematics50%+12 vs state

Science39%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ponderosa Elementary	Public	K-5	295 Ponderosa Rd.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8825	359	16	22.4	35.4%	50 (13.9%)	1 (0.3%)	167 (46.5%)	102 (28.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	35 (9.7%)	66.6	1760^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.0%		63.4	1912^th of 5869 public elementary schools	67.4%	152	39.3	39.3	49.2	60.3	55.7	55.0	46.9	58.6	44.3	49.7	$24,503	$21,088	$3,415
Los Cerritos Elementary	Public	K-5	210 West Orange Ave.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8841	304	17	18.4	62.2%	14 (4.6%)	8 (2.6%)	204 (67.1%)	37 (12.2%)	6 (2.0%)	13 (4.3%)	22 (7.2%)	10	5635^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.8%		22.1	4666^th of 5869 public elementary schools	20.5%	969	6.0	6.0	10.0	13.9	24.5	16.8	18.6	15.8	10.0	14.5	$27,440	$23,208	$4,232
Buri Buri Elementary	Public	K-5	325 Del Monte Ave.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8776	584	26	22.4	28.3%	77 (13.2%)	1 (0.2%)	219 (37.5%)	217 (37.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.2%)	63 (10.8%)	85.9	885^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.9%		78.7	1211^th of 5869 public elementary schools	79.4%	326	51.0	51.0	63.2	64.1	67.3	65.0	82.0	63.0	60.8	68.2	$22,217	$20,140	$2,077
Monte Verde Elementary	Public	K-5	2551 St. Cloud Dr.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8838	517	22	23.6	21.9%	39 (7.5%)	4 (0.8%)	62 (12.0%)	334 (64.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.0%)	73 (14.1%)	95.3	300^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.9%		95.9	275^th of 5869 public elementary schools	95.3%	25	64.8	64.8	78.0	80.7	75.8	78.2	86.8	78.4	71.4	78.9	$18,556	$17,094	$1,462
Spruce Elementary	Public	K-5	501 Spruce Ave.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8780	384	17	22.5	61.2%	14 (3.6%)	8 (2.1%)	303 (78.9%)	43 (11.2%)	4 (1.0%)	6 (1.6%)	6 (1.6%)	17.6	5039^th of 5857 public elementary schools	14.0%		18.2	5005^th of 5869 public elementary schools	14.7%	34	15.6	15.6	21.7	30.3	21.9	25.0	17.8	27.3	12.5	19.4	$25,347	$22,752	$2,595
Sunshine Gardens Elementary	Public	K-5	1200 Miller Ave.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8784	329	17	19.3	48.3%	14 (4.3%)	5 (1.5%)	194 (59.0%)	74 (22.5%)	6 (1.8%)	4 (1.2%)	32 (9.7%)	38.5	3311^th of 5857 public elementary schools	43.5%		36.1	3431^st of 5869 public elementary schools	41.5%	120	21.5	21.5	31.8	38.6	45.5	39.6	36.6	29.8	37.9	35.1	$26,076	$22,478	$3,598
Hillside Elementary	Public	K-5	1400 Hillside Blvd.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-8720	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)											$1,158	$00	$1,158
Martin Elementary	Public	K-5	35 School St.	South San Francisco	94080	San Mateo County	South San Francisco Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 877-3955	370	17	22.4	69.7%	9 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	309 (83.5%)	22 (5.9%)	11 (3.0%)	5 (1.4%)	14 (3.8%)	11.2	5556^th of 5857 public elementary schools	5.1%		28.1	4101^st of 5869 public elementary schools	30.1%	1455	7.9	7.9	18.8	14.3	19.7	17.6	24.2	18.8	6.4	16.6	$22,984	$20,298	$2,686
Allen (Decima M.) Elementary	Public	K-5	875 West Angus Ave.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	San Bruno Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 624-3140	396	17	23.2	64.9%	4 (1.0%)	6 (1.5%)	260 (65.7%)	52 (13.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	60 (15.2%)	56	2250^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.6%		45.1	2854^th of 5869 public elementary schools	51.4%	604	32.8	32.8	51.6	53.1	42.6	49.2	45.3	53.1	32.8	43.9
Portola Elementary	Public	K-6	300 Amador Ave.	San Bruno	94066	San Mateo County	San Bruno Park Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 624-3175	378	14	27.0	36.0%	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	97 (25.7%)	178 (47.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	88 (23.3%)	77.6	1261^st of 5857 public elementary schools	78.5%		90.2	692^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	88.2%	569	52.5	52.5	63.0	52.6	63.2	59.4	69.6	48.2	55.9	57.1

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary

Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 1760^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary are 47% Hispanic, 28% Asian, 14% White, 10% Two or more races.

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 359 students attended Ponderosa Elementary.

What district is Ponderosa Elementary in?

South San Francisco Unified

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alta Loma Middle
High : South San Francisco High

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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