Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Ponderosa Elementary School

Q: Is Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary School ranks 115 th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

115^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 350 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa Elementary School is a PK–5 public school in Meridian, ID, serving 411 students within Joint School District No. 2, and is currently ranked #115 out of 346 Idaho elementary schools (67th percentile, 3 stars) — a notable jump from #170 the previous year.

Academically, math is Ponderosa's strongest subject, with 55.9% of students proficient compared to 57.6% districtwide and 43.1% statewide. English Language Arts is more challenging: 58.6% proficiency versus 69.1% for the district, a gap that has persisted across recent years. Science lags furthest behind, with just 43% of 5th graders proficient versus 57.7% districtwide. In the surrounding area, Ponderosa sits among several high-performing schools — Paramount Elementary School (#8), Prospect Elementary School (#13), Hunter Elementary School (#36), and Barbara Morgan Stem Academy (#35) all rank in the top 90th percentile, while Chaparral Elementary (#136) is the closest comparable neighbor. Meridian Elementary School (#286) and Peregrine Elementary School (#171) rank below Ponderosa. Nearly 4 in 10 students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a higher rate than at most nearby high performers, though economically disadvantaged students at Ponderosa perform near or above statewide averages for their subgroup.

One of the school's most encouraging trends is attendance: chronic absenteeism fell from 28% in 2021–2022 to 12.1% now, below both district (12.7%) and state (13.8%) averages. Ponderosa also operates with the lowest per-student spending among nearby schools at $6,095. The school's biggest improvement areas remain ELA and science, where gaps to the district are largest. With rising math scores and dramatically better attendance, Ponderosa is clearly on an upward trend — though it still faces structural challenges compared to the standout schools in its immediate area.

411

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$6,095

Per pupil spending ?

39.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2950 North Naomi
Meridian, ID 83642-3936

(208) 855-4040

District: Joint School District No. 2

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Meridian Middle School
High:	Meridian High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.1%

Hispanic:

18.5%

Two or more races:

5.8%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Ponderosa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Idaho average (52% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Idaho median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg61%

Idaho avg47%

115^th of 350

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd 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	62.5	115 of 350	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.1	170 of 337	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	130 of 301	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	81 of 252	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.9	65 of 188	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.8	73 of 166	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.5	94 of 171	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.0	100 of 254	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.1	158 of 292	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.3	146 of 240	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.9	111 of 226	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.7	213 of 357	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.4	234 of 354	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.1	195 of 359	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.1	148 of 356	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.7	126 of 349	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.1	104 of 335	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	54.2	33 of 69	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	85.4	1 of 23	95.7%	★★★★★
2019	51.5	12 of 23	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.5	68 of 121	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	53.6	11 of 26	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.3	15 of 44	65.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	53.1	37 of 69	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.6	10 of 23	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.7	11 of 23	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	53 of 121	56.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2024	58.3	52 of 135	61.5%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2024)61st percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)58th percentile~ school

Female (2024)52nd percentile-5 vs school

Male (2024)46th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts59%+5 vs state

Math56%+13 vs state

Science43%~ state avg

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Ponderosa Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Saturday, October 8, 2011

i went to school hear for 5 years. (K-4) Then i moved to Nebraska, where my grades improved drastically. I am now a Freshman in high school, and I wish I had gone to Hyannis Area Schools all my life. In bigger schools, they just push you through like a bunch of sheep, at my school, the teachers come to games, know your parents, and maybe even went to school with your grandparents. Also, in smaller schools, you don't have to worry about drugs or alcohol that much.
Thank you for your time,
BreAnna Katlyn Wonacott Close Quote

Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science 8th Grade	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ponderosa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2950 North Naomi	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4040	411	23	18.0	39.4%	288 (70.1%)	11 (2.7%)	76 (18.5%)	11 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.8%)	62.5	115^th of 350 public elementary schools	67.1%		48.1	170^th of 337 public elementary schools	49.6%	55	60.6	57.4	51.2				55.9	43.0			54.5	60.3	60.5				58.6	$6,095	$609	$5,486
Chaparral Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1155 North Deer Creek Lane	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4180	545	33	16.6	50.6%	338 (62.0%)	19 (3.5%)	136 (25.0%)	16 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.7%)	30 (5.5%)	58.5	136^th of 350 public elementary schools	61.1%		71.3	82^nd of 337 public elementary schools	75.7%	54	57.8	51.5	59.8				56.2	45.4			44.4	55.9	62.5				54.8	$7,716	$609	$7,107
Doral Academy Of Idaho	Public, Charter	K-8	2511 West Cherry Lane	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Doral Academy Of Idaho Inc.	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 639-2549	331	19	17.4		236 (71.3%)	7 (2.1%)	65 (19.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.0%)	73.1	77^th of 350 public elementary schools	78.0%		69	89^th of 337 public elementary schools	73.6%	12	74.4	74.4	73.3	31.4	40.0	61.9	60.6	63.3	57.1	60.8	76.9	69.8	≥ 80%	37.1	80.0	≥ 71%	71.0
Barbara Morgan Stem Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	1825 Chateau Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4430	438	25	17.8	25.3%	328 (74.9%)	4 (0.9%)	80 (18.3%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.8%)	87.5	35^th of 350 public elementary schools	90.0%		88.1	35^th of 337 public elementary schools	89.6%		65.2	63.0	67.1				65.1	77.6			73.4	61.6	82.9				72.8	$6,669	$609	$6,060
Hunter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2051 West McMillan Road	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 855-4285	460	25	18.5	24.3%	355 (77.2%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (13.5%)	10 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.3%)	87.4	36^th of 350 public elementary schools	89.7%		86.8	39^th of 337 public elementary schools	88.4%	3	60.7	71.0	76.9				69.2	63.7			62.6	71.0	84.4				72.0	$6,295	$609	$5,686
Pleasant View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4600 West Gondola Drive	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 332-6800	747	35	21.6	19.4%	572 (76.6%)	15 (2.0%)	96 (12.9%)	14 (1.9%)	5 (0.7%)	4 (0.5%)	41 (5.5%)	82.4	53^rd of 350 public elementary schools	84.9%		85.3	44^th of 337 public elementary schools	86.9%	9	58.8	70.3	57.9				62.2	65.5			58.0	71.1	79.3				70.2
Willow Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6195 North Long Lake Way	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4410	503	29	17.1	25.4%	382 (75.9%)	6 (1.2%)	85 (16.9%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.4%)	74.4	73^rd of 350 public elementary schools	79.1%		85.4	42^nd of 337 public elementary schools	87.5%	31	71.7	56.8	51.3				60.4	57.5			68.5	55.7	66.3				63.5	$6,607	$609	$5,998
Paramount Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 West Producer Drive	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 350-4120	460	25	18.1	19.6%	336 (73.0%)	3 (0.7%)	72 (15.7%)	16 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.0%)	94.5	8^th of 350 public elementary schools	97.7%		96.5	3^rd of 337 public elementary schools	99.1%	5	84.5	86.7	69.9				80.0	59.1			77.4	84.3	84.8				82.2	$6,756	$609	$6,147
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
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 Ponderosa Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary School?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary School are 70% White, 18% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Meridian Middle School
High : Meridian High School

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 411 students attended Ponderosa Elementary School.

Is Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary School ranks 115^th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Ponderosa Elementary School in?

Joint School District No. 2

Rate Ponderosa Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IDIdaho Elementary School Rankings

IDIdaho District Rankings

Schools in Meridian, ID

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ponderosa Elementary School!

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.