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Ponder Elementary

Q: Is Ponder Elementary a good school?

Ponder Elementary ranks 2520 th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2520^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 4,627 Texas Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Texas elementary schools

Summary

Ponder Elementary in Ponder, TX, serves 773 students from Pre-K through 5th grade within the Ponder Independent School District (Isd), a district with a 3-star rating, and is located in a community where about 45% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Ponder Elementary has experienced a notable decline in recent years, dropping from the 62nd percentile in 2020-2021 to a low of the 16th percentile in 2024-2025, before partially recovering to the 46th percentile in 2025-2026. This volatility sets it apart from nearby schools like Argyle West (97th percentile) and Lance Thompson Elementary (86th percentile), which consistently rank high. The school's core academic scores often fall below state averages; for instance, 3rd-grade Math proficiency was 32.73% compared to the state's 44.33%, and 5th-grade Science proficiency was just 10.79% in 2025-2026, a critical weakness compared to Blanche Dodd Elementary (58.18%) and Argyle West (68.81%).

Despite these challenges, Ponder Elementary has a standout strength: its Special Education program ranked in the 77th percentile in 2025-2026, a dramatic improvement from the 30th percentile the year prior, and a level of success not seen at neighboring schools. However, this recovery is uneven, as other student groups, including those from low socio-economic backgrounds, continue to struggle in the bottom quartile of the state. The school's per-student spending ($9,255) is mid-range compared to peers like Dyer Elementary ($11,259) and Jane Ruestmann Elementary (82.95% 3rd-grade Math proficiency), suggesting that instructional strategies and school culture, rather than funding alone, are key to improvement. To compete with high-performing neighbors, Ponder Elementary must replicate its Special Education success across all student groups and urgently address its science education.

773

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,026

Per pupil spending ?

45.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 W Bailey
Ponder, TX 76259

(940) 479-8320

District: Ponder Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Ponder Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ponder J H
High:	Ponder High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.1%

Hispanic:

38.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

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Compare Ponder Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 16th percentile in 2025 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 46th (2026) from a 16th-percentile low (2025)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg46%

Texas avg51%

2,520^th of 4,627

Texas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

349^th of 951Ponder Independent School District (Isd) among Texas 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	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.0	2520 of 4627	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.2	3904 of 4651	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.4	3558 of 4710	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.7	3175 of 4647	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.3	2186 of 4581	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.5	1754 of 4578	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.7	1941 of 4479	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.7	2204 of 4359	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.4	1687 of 4329	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	69.0	1331 of 4286	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	1587 of 4320	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.3	1676 of 4260	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	46.4	2499 of 4221	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	67.1	1305 of 4206	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.3	2047 of 4095	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.9	1768 of 3937	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	55.2	1967 of 3884	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	65.1	1350 of 3768	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	51.9	2116 of 3724	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.0	2188 of 3476	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	47.8	2115 of 3475	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.3	2057 of 3465	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2019	9.8	2490 of 2515	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.1	2378 of 2483	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	33.4	3285 of 4461	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.2	2787 of 4331	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.0	2320 of 4295	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.4	3878 of 4240	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.3	1411 of 1643	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.0	2757 of 2918	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.9	3443 of 3668	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	3066 of 3556	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.9	2617 of 3487	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.5	1977 of 3446	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.1	2157 of 3333	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.3	2585 of 3226	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	2749 of 4575	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.1	3133 of 3744	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	3710 of 4658	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	3566 of 4588	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.5	2685 of 4561	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.1	1910 of 4499	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.5	2199 of 4348	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.3	2410 of 4306	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	1721 of 3075	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.5	2267 of 2619	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.1	2358 of 2980	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	55.1	1641 of 2958	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.4	1607 of 3006	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	973 of 3184	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.8	1657 of 3106	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	24.8	3756 of 4413	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.7	3472 of 3644	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	4146 of 4465	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.0	3741 of 4401	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.6	3242 of 4376	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.2	2515 of 4329	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.0	2832 of 4188	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.0	3370 of 4168	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	32.4	3426 of 4520	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.5	3345 of 3705	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	4178 of 4594	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.8	3411 of 4521	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.7	2919 of 4477	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.4	2142 of 4451	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.2	3254 of 4309	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	3154 of 4264	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	2366 of 4582	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	23.1	3119 of 3739	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.1	3436 of 4647	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	42.5	2597 of 4585	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.6	1784 of 4563	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.9	1591 of 4498	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.9	1711 of 4357	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.7	2116 of 4319	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	33.2	837 of 1106	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.1	684 of 975	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	946 of 1128	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	946 of 1112	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.9	984 of 1046	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	985 of 4301	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	33.6	2500 of 3549	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.5	2633 of 4292	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.5	980 of 4086	76.0%	★★★★☆
2022	54.0	1342 of 3952	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.8	771 of 3799	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	34.3	2469 of 3684	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.0	2991 of 3558	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	1901 of 3006	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	15.8	2411 of 2612	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	2723 of 3108	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	2551 of 3106	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.7	1862 of 3082	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.0	1659 of 3082	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.1	1801 of 3142	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	1962 of 3127	37.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)77th percentile+32 vs school

Male (2026)48th percentile+3 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)44th percentile~ school

Female (2026)40th percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile-9 vs school

At Risk (2022)26th percentile-26 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)24th percentile-21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2026)15th percentile-31 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)14th percentile-31 vs school

African American (2019)1st percentile-56 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading50%-4 vs state

Mathematics42%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ponder 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)				STAAR Reading (2026)						STAAR Mathematics (2026)						STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (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	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 7th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
Ponder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	401 W Bailey	Ponder	76259	Denton County	Ponder Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 479-8320	773	52	14.8	45.3%	434 (56.1%)	8 (1.0%)	300 (38.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.6%)	43	2520^th of 4627 public elementary schools	45.5%		22.2	3904^th of 4651 public elementary schools	16.1%	1384	40.4	59.1	49.6				32.7	48.7	43.3					$7,026
Jane Ruestmann Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6610 Cleveland Gibbs Rd	Argyle	76226	Denton County	Argyle Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(940) 464-7241	846	47	17.8	3.9%	328 (38.8%)	27 (3.2%)	84 (9.9%)	362 (42.8%)	23 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.6%)	92.8	263^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	94.3%					(n/a)	84.4	63.0	84.6				83.0	70.1	87.4					$00
Lance Thompson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	821 Hawks Way	Argyle	76226	Denton County	Northwest Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(817) 698-1800	701	48	14.5	8.6%	394 (56.2%)	34 (4.9%)	135 (19.3%)	95 (13.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.7%)	82.7	665^th of 4627 public elementary schools	85.6%		86.6	513^th of 4651 public elementary schools	89.0%	152	72.0	73.0	73.6				59.2	55.2	64.4					$8,587
Argyle West	Public	PK, KG-5	1741 Old Justin Rd	Argyle	76226	Denton County	Argyle Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(940) 246-4007	643	42	15.2	4.2%	387 (60.2%)	15 (2.3%)	74 (11.5%)	124 (19.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.4%)	96.1	124^th of 4627 public elementary schools	97.3%		88.4	428^th of 4651 public elementary schools	90.8%	304	78.6	83.7	82.3				72.1	85.8	80.0					$7,331
Dyer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	304 N 3rd St	Krum	76249	Denton County	Krum Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 482-2604	361	24	14.9	51.0%	178 (49.3%)	1 (0.3%)	162 (44.9%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.2%)	53.3	1945^th of 4627 public elementary schools	58.0%		43.8	2508^th of 4651 public elementary schools	46.1%	563	47.1	56.1	59.3				42.0	48.5	47.5					$7,967
Blanche Dodd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	915 E McCart	Krum	76249	Denton County	Krum Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 482-2603	335	24	13.6	32.8%	200 (59.7%)	12 (3.6%)	107 (31.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.6%)	53.6	1931^st of 4627 public elementary schools	58.3%		71.8	1054^th of 4651 public elementary schools	77.3%	877	47.3	35.6	68.3				36.4	42.2	70.5					$9,231
Johnie R Daniel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1901 Tye St	Northlake	76247	Denton County	Northwest Independent School District (Isd)	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(817) 215-0000	593	42	14.2	8.3%	275 (46.4%)	48 (8.1%)	118 (19.9%)	115 (19.4%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.2%)	81.9	702^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	84.8%		85.2	567^th of 4651 public elementary schools	87.8%	135	76.0	60.6	84.2				63.1	49.5	66.7					$12,374
Dixie Hansel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1513 Sequoia	Krum	76249	Denton County	Krum Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(940) 482-2605	501	33	15.0	46.7%	219 (43.7%)	24 (4.8%)	221 (44.1%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	27 (5.4%)	43.9	2455^th of 4627 public elementary schools	46.9%		48.8	2203^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	52.6%	252	39.8	54.6	55.9				33.0	44.9	52.2					$7,061
Justin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	425 Boss Range Rd	Justin	76247	Denton County	Northwest Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	No	(817) 215-0800	667	45	14.9	25.3%	444 (66.6%)	37 (5.5%)	135 (20.2%)	21 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	25 (3.7%)	51.4	2040^th of 4627 public elementary schools	55.9%		46.5	2348^th of 4651 public elementary schools	49.5%	308	52.7	52.5	60.9				36.4	40.5	54.4					$7,891
North Texas Collegiate Academy-North Campus	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	4601 Ih 35 N	Denton	76207	Denton County	North Texas Collegiate Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(940) 383-1972	237	13	17.6	81.4%	64 (27.0%)	99 (41.8%)	51 (21.5%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.6%)	38.9	2833^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	38.8%		58.6	1646^th of 4651 public elementary schools	64.6%	1187	51.9	40.0	44.4	30.0	47.4	44.4	61.5	33.3	46.2	30.0	36.8	22.2	66.7	$9,823

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponder Elementary

Is Ponder Elementary a good school?

Ponder Elementary ranks 2520^th of 4627 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Ponder Elementary in?

Ponder Independent School District (Isd)

How many students attend Ponder Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 773 students attended Ponder Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ponder Elementary?

Students at Ponder Elementary are 56% White, 39% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Ponder Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ponder Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ponder J H
High : Ponder High School

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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

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.