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Meridian Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
290th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 350 Idaho Elementary Schools
Better than 17% of Idaho elementary schools
Summary

Meridian Elementary School is a PK–5 public school in Meridian, Idaho, serving 468 students within the Joint School District No. 2 (West Ada), a district ranked in the top 12% of Idaho districts. The school serves a significantly higher share of economically disadvantaged students than nearby schools — about 66% qualify for free/reduced lunch, roughly 12 points higher than the next-closest school in the area.

Despite the district's strong reputation, Meridian Elementary currently ranks at the 17th percentile statewide (286th of 346 elementary schools), the lowest of all nearby comparison schools and well below neighbors like Prospect Elementary School (96th percentile), Barbara Morgan STEM Academy (90th), and Hunter Elementary School (90th). ISAT proficiency rates tell a similar story: just 37.2% of students are proficient in math and 38.9% in ELA, compared to district averages of 57.6% and 69.1%. The gap to the next-lowest nearby school is roughly 14–15 points in math and 13 points in ELA. Notably, schools with similar poverty levels — such as Peregrine Elementary School and River Valley Elementary School — score 15–20 points higher, suggesting demographics alone don't explain the gap. Per-student spending and class sizes also don't explain the difference; the school is not under-resourced relative to its higher-performing peers.

There are bright spots. In 2023–2024, Meridian received a 5-star rating for its Hispanic student subgroup, ranking 1st out of 58 comparable Idaho schools. Chronic absenteeism has also improved dramatically, dropping from 35% to 15% over four years. However, the overall trajectory is concerning: the school's state ranking has fallen from the 50th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 17th percentile this year. Grade-level data shows 3rd-graders performing near state averages, while 4th- and 5th-grade proficiency falls sharply behind. Parents considering Meridian Elementary should weigh the academic challenges against the school's demonstrated strengths and improving attendance climate.

468
Students ?
15.4
Student/teacher ratio ?
$7,537
Per pupil spending ?
66%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1035 Northwest 1st Street
       Meridian, ID  83642-2281

(208) 855-4335

District: Joint School District No. 2


Students who attend Meridian Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Meridian Middle School
High:    Meridian High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
61.8%
Hispanic:
28.2%
Two or more races:
3.8%
more
 See top rated Idaho elementary schools

 Compare Meridian Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Idaho average (36% vs 47% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school36%
District avg61%
Idaho avg47%
290th of 350
Idaho public elementary schools ?
Bottom 17%▼ down 35 pts since 2016
From top 48% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
33rd of 33Elementary Schools in the Joint School District No. 2
12th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
202622.4290 of 35017.1%★☆☆☆☆
202536.3221 of 33734.4%★★☆☆☆
202449.7150 of 30150.2%★★★☆☆
202344.5147 of 25241.7%★★☆☆☆
202240.1114 of 18839.4%★★☆☆☆
202125.6126 of 16624.1%★☆☆☆☆
201948.687 of 17149.1%★★☆☆☆
201861.688 of 25465.4%★★★☆☆
201731.7210 of 29228.1%★☆☆☆☆
201654.6116 of 24051.7%★★★☆☆
201533.1156 of 22631.0%★★☆☆☆
201332.4287 of 35719.6%★☆☆☆☆
20126.9346 of 3542.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201113.2348 of 3593.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201039.6255 of 35628.4%★☆☆☆☆
200933.9272 of 34922.1%★☆☆☆☆
200848.7192 of 33542.7%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIdaho percentileRating
202491.21 of 5898.3%★★★★★
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)
Hispanic (2024)98th percentile+48 vs school
By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts39%-15 vs state
Math37%-6 vs state
Science32%-12 vs state

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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Open Quote Meridian Elementary school is on probationary status for the past couple years. During this time they have taken a child who is on a 504 plan and discriminated, threatened, harrassed, intimidated etc the family due their newest Principal they brought in making it clear that he is in power and its all about attendance. His view on a child having experience child abuse is "that is in the past, what is their problem now", that if a child has medical problems, its all well and good to take them to a doctor - some students need regular visits and continued care - and he stresses his concern for the student(s) "however" they still must be at school, and doctor visits are not excused! The school has allowed contact with students on the school grounds in violation of court orders, which they promptly start to response quoting how many court orders are on file at any given time and they have a lot of volunteers, so they "make every effort" to follow the court orders BUT.... last I knew there is no excuses, tolerance nor reason for a childs safety, being physical, mental or emotion to be violated because the school has XX amount of courts orders and they throw the blame towards volunteers that "dont know better". Would you like a Principal who would approach a student and ask them they why the even bothered coming to school because they were not feeling good but still gave their best effort and still tried to be at school, even if it was the last half, or even the last hour? Totally inappropriate.

Sadly as parents we sometimes have to tolerate the school. Even under a 504, the children have the option of transfering to another school since Meridian Elementary is on probation and NOT meeting the states standards, however should they get it back, even by some miracle - and apparently by force against a what is healthy for some students with health issues - they would force the student back by immediately canceling transportation - which most single parents are not able to transport and keep their jobs that provide their income, and the child then has to instantly move back losing their friends once again and relationships with their new teachers irregaredless whether during the school year or not.

I have not heard a good report from the other parents that I talk to either. They all feel that Meridian is extremely letting our children and families down, but specifically Meridian Elementary. If you have an option, take the rating serious, and consider the remarks here. There are actual facts of events that have happens to several students. If they cannot and will not follow federal protected laws like 504 Plans to assist children with disabilites, how good of care do you think your "normal" child will receive?! Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Meridian Elementary School

Meridian Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.1% of Idaho elementary schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 468 students attended Meridian Elementary School.

Students at Meridian Elementary School are 62% White, 28% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

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

Middle : Meridian Middle School
High : Meridian High School

Rate Meridian Elementary School!



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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.

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