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Mary McPherson Elementary

Q: Is Mary McPherson Elementary a good school?

Mary McPherson Elementary ranks 66 th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

66^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 350 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 81% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Mary McPherson Elementary is a PK–5 public school in Meridian, ID, serving 494 students as part of Joint School District No. 2. It's a solid, steady performer: in 2025–2026, 62.9% of students were proficient in math and 66.7% in English language arts, well above state averages of 43.1% and 54.0%. The school has never dropped below a 4-star rating over the past decade, and it ranked 66th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools, placing it in the 81st percentile.

Math is Mary McPherson's clearest strength — it beats the district by about 5 points (62.9% vs. 57.6%). English language arts is relatively softer, trailing the district (66.7% vs. 69.1%). The data also shows a noticeable 5th-grade dip: 5th-grade math (55.9%), ELA (63.7%), and science (48.0%) all lag district averages, with science well below the district's 57.7%. On the positive side, chronic absenteeism has dropped sharply from 25.0% in 2021–2022 to 12.9%, now matching the district average and beating the state average (13.8%).

Compared with nearby schools, Mary McPherson stands out for efficiency. It spends about $6,373 per student and has a student–teacher ratio of 18.9 — lower spending and larger classes than peers like Meridian Elementary School ($7,537) or Lake Hazel Elementary School ($6,928) — yet it outperforms most of them academically. For example, Meridian Elementary posts just 37.2% math and 38.9% ELA despite spending more, which highlights how well Mary McPherson uses its resources. Still, top-tier nearby schools like Hillsdale Elementary (18th in the state) and Christine Donnell School Of The Arts (41st) have higher ELA scores and much lower chronic absenteeism (5.6% and 4.9%, respectively). The path forward: shore up 5th-grade ELA and science, reduce absenteeism further, and bring overall ELA up to district average. With those gains, this already strong school could move from the upper-middle tier into the top tier.

494

Students ?

18.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,373

Per pupil spending ?

25.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1050 East Amity Road
Meridian, ID 83642-6958

(208) 855-4300

District: Joint School District No. 2

Students who attend Mary McPherson Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Victory Middle School
High:	Meridian High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.9%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Two or more races:

5.9%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Mary McPherson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Idaho average (59% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Idaho elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg61%

Idaho avg47%

66^th of 350

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Top 19%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Joint School District No. 2

12^th of 104Joint School District No. 2 among Idaho 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	Idaho percentile	Rating
2026	76.9	66 of 350	81.1%	★★★★☆
2025	79.1	60 of 337	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	70 of 301	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	82.1	43 of 252	82.9%	★★★★☆
2022	78.2	41 of 188	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	71.7	47 of 166	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.6	48 of 171	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.0	55 of 254	78.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.3	79 of 292	72.9%	★★★★☆
2016	80.2	42 of 240	82.5%	★★★★☆
2015	78.2	43 of 226	81.0%	★★★★☆
2013	73.9	65 of 357	81.8%	★★★★☆
2012	63.0	130 of 354	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.9	129 of 359	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.9	144 of 356	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.7	101 of 349	71.1%	★★★★☆
2008	62.0	124 of 335	63.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	60.4	27 of 69	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.9	4 of 19	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	83.2	17 of 121	86.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	90.2	6 of 69	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	84.5	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.5	45 of 121	62.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	80.5	28 of 135	79.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2024)91st percentile+15 vs school

White (2024)79th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2024)61st percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts67%+13 vs state

Math63%+20 vs state

Science48%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mary McPherson 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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISAT Math (2026)				ISAT Science (2026)	ISAT English Language Arts (2026)				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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	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
Mary McPherson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1050 East Amity Road	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4300	494	26	18.9	25.9%	360 (72.9%)	12 (2.4%)	72 (14.6%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.9%)	76.9	66^th of 350 public elementary schools	81.1%		79.1	60^th of 337 public elementary schools	82.2%	6	68.8	65.3	55.9	62.9	48.0	64.1	71.9	63.7	66.7	$6,373	$609	$5,763
Siena Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2870 East Rome Drive	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4370	565	29	19.4	18.6%	448 (79.3%)	5 (0.9%)	63 (11.2%)	16 (2.8%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	26 (4.6%)	80.7	56^th of 350 public elementary schools	84.0%		84.8	47^th of 337 public elementary schools	86.1%	9	73.6	66.0	53.8	63.7	54.3	70.7	62.3	70.1	67.6	$6,578	$609	$5,969
Hillsdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5225 South Howry Lane	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4432	769	36	21.2	9.2%	637 (82.8%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (6.8%)	29 (3.8%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (5.9%)	92.5	18^th of 350 public elementary schools	94.9%		93.7	14^th of 337 public elementary schools	95.8%	4	68.8	80.1	70.2	73.2	71.0	67.2	78.5	80.6	75.5	$6,115	$609	$5,506
Lake Hazel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11711 Lake Hazel Road	Boise	83709	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4075	328	23	14.0	36.9%	226 (68.9%)	8 (2.4%)	55 (16.8%)	9 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	24 (7.3%)	77.6	63^rd of 350 public elementary schools	82.0%		84.2	49^th of 337 public elementary schools	85.5%	14	66.7	62.1	60.3	63.0	62.1	54.4	63.8	67.2	61.8	$6,928	$609	$6,319
Pepper Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2252 South Sumpter Way	Boise	83709	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4130	472	27	17.8	35.4%	336 (71.2%)	8 (1.7%)	70 (14.8%)	18 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.3%)	32 (6.8%)	76.3	69^th of 350 public elementary schools	80.3%		79.8	59^th of 337 public elementary schools	82.5%	10	66.7	56.7	55.8	59.1	52.6	69.4	60.4	71.3	66.8	$6,440	$609	$5,831
Peregrine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1860 Waltman Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 888-1384	483	32	15.3	51.1%	321 (66.5%)	8 (1.7%)	111 (23.0%)	6 (1.2%)	8 (1.7%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (5.4%)	50	173^rd of 350 public elementary schools	50.6%		59.1	123^rd of 337 public elementary schools	63.5%	50	55.7	48.2	51.9	51.7	42.3	50.0	46.3	58.2	51.5	$7,460	$1,032	$6,428
Eliza Hart Spalding Stem Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	12311 West Braddock Drive	Boise	83709	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(208) 321-2150	610	34	17.9	22.0%	481 (78.9%)	5 (0.8%)	72 (11.8%)	15 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (5.4%)	83.6	49^th of 350 public elementary schools	86.0%		82.1	53^rd of 337 public elementary schools	84.3%	4	73.2	65.1	57.8	65.3	60.8	67.0	65.1	70.6	67.5	$6,780	$609	$6,171
Silver Trail Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2950 West Mason Creek Road	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Kuna Joint District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 472-9731	628	32	19.6	25.8%	507 (80.7%)	18 (2.9%)	67 (10.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.3%)	59.3	132^nd of 350 public elementary schools	62.3%		68.8	91^st of 337 public elementary schools	73.0%	41	62.4	57.3	45.3	55.5	44.2	55.0	58.1	56.3	56.5	$7,167	$797	$6,369
Christine Donnell School Of The Arts	Public, Magnet	K-5	7075 South Five Mile Road	Boise	83709	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4355	464	24	19.3	26.1%	377 (81.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.3%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	33 (7.1%)	84.7	41^st of 350 public elementary schools	88.3%		82.1	52^nd of 337 public elementary schools	84.6%	11	62.9	63.8	68.7	65.2	67.5	64.3	62.5	79.5	69.1	$6,743	$609	$6,134
Meridian Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1035 Northwest 1st Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 855-4335	468	30	15.4	66.0%	289 (61.8%)	13 (2.8%)	132 (28.2%)	11 (2.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.8%)	22.4	290^th of 350 public elementary schools	17.1%		36.3	221^st of 337 public elementary schools	34.4%	69	43.5	34.6	34.2	37.2	31.9	48.5	27.2	42.9	38.9	$7,537	$1,263	$6,274

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary McPherson Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mary McPherson Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mary McPherson Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Victory Middle School
High : Meridian High School

Is Mary McPherson Elementary a good school?

Mary McPherson Elementary ranks 66^th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mary McPherson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 494 students attended Mary McPherson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Mary McPherson Elementary?

Students at Mary McPherson Elementary are 73% White, 15% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What district is Mary McPherson Elementary in?

Joint School District No. 2

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Latest Idaho data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 19, 2026

2025–26 ISAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesJan 19, 2026

2024–25 ISAT test scoresAug 26, 2025

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.