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

Ponderosa Elementary

Q: Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 259 th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

259^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa Elementary is a highly-rated public school serving 344 students from Pre-K through 5th grade in the Central Valley School District in Spokane Valley, consistently ranking in the top quarter of all Washington elementary schools.

The school stands out for its strong and improving academic performance, particularly in science where over 72% of students are proficient, and for achieving these results while serving a diverse student community. Compared to nearby schools like Opportunity Elementary or Broadway Elementary, which have higher rates of economic need and lower test scores, Ponderosa demonstrates a notable ability to support student success across different backgrounds. It also shows more consistent year-to-year improvement than some peers, such as University Elementary School, and does so while spending less per student than several other schools in the area.

While Ponderosa performs well for most student groups, it faces a clear challenge in supporting its Special Education students, an area identified for potential growth. Overall, the school represents a strong, stable, and cost-effective choice within the district, having robustly recovered from pandemic-related learning disruptions and now performing on par with its pre-pandemic high achievement levels.

344

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,564

Per pupil spending ?

41.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

10105 E Cimmaron Dr
Spokane Valley, WA 99206-9670

(509) 558-6450

District: Central Valley School District

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	University High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.5%

Hispanic:

8.7%

Two or more races:

8.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Ponderosa Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 56th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Washington average (65% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Washington elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg54%

Washington avg48%

259^th of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 21 pts since 2015

From top 44% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Central Valley School District

64^th of 247Central Valley School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	75.0	259 of 1160	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	75.6	267 of 1168	77.1%	★★★★☆
2023	60.8	427 of 1169	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.5	505 of 1169	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.4	441 of 1107	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.1	266 of 1130	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.5	272 of 1054	74.2%	★★★★☆
2017	57.4	456 of 1056	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.9	587 of 1053	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.9	465 of 1067	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.0	402 of 1106	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	72.1	270 of 1097	75.4%	★★★★☆
2011	74.0	229 of 1092	79.0%	★★★★☆
2010	76.7	200 of 1088	81.6%	★★★★☆
2009	65.3	361 of 1072	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.0	461 of 1067	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.9	478 of 1069	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.4	353 of 1051	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	61.6	389 of 1031	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	61.5	364 of 1026	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	73.1	259 of 1092	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	83.5	158 of 1093	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	64.7	359 of 1094	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	463 of 1100	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.4	394 of 1008	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.2	297 of 1068	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	64.5	356 of 1004	64.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	69.3	248 of 1013	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	160 of 1024	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	47.0	538 of 1013	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	537 of 1019	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.3	286 of 854	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	342 of 979	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.3	277 of 835	66.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	74.5	242 of 1098	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	344 of 1099	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.7	455 of 1099	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.7	498 of 1113	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.8	408 of 1025	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.2	253 of 1075	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.3	204 of 999	79.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	301 of 363	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	234 of 339	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.0	331 of 478	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.4	174 of 566	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	162 of 637	74.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	77.1	206 of 1007	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	70.4	286 of 1009	71.7%	★★★★☆
2023	51.8	478 of 1011	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.8	594 of 1031	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	515 of 943	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	65.8	354 of 1027	65.5%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)80th percentile~ school

Male (2025)78th percentile~ school

Female (2025)76th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)76th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)17th percentile-61 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science73%+23 vs state

English Language Arts61%+8 vs state

Math60%+18 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ponderosa Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Ponderosa Elementary

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Ponderosa Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)						SBAC Math (2025)						% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	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 (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	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ponderosa Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10105 E Cimmaron Dr	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 558-6450	344	25	14.0	41.9%	263 (76.5%)	10 (2.9%)	30 (8.7%)	2 (0.6%)	7 (2.0%)	3 (0.9%)	29 (8.4%)	75	259^th of 1160 public elementary schools	77.7%		75.6	267^th of 1168 public elementary schools	77.1%	8	72.7	72.7	57.1	58.8	66.7			60.8	64.9	60.8	54.6			60.3	82.9	82.9	82.9	82.9	82.9	82.9	87.8	82.9	82.9	82.9	$17,564	$86	$17,478
Chester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3525 S. Pines Road	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 558-3150	410	26	15.5	30.2%	318 (77.6%)	9 (2.2%)	33 (8.0%)	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.2%)	30 (7.3%)	80.1	209^th of 1160 public elementary schools	82.0%		84.2	172^nd of 1168 public elementary schools	85.3%	37	67.4	67.4	63.2	74.2	67.8			67.9	66.7	66.7	52.9			61.7	82.7	88.5	86.5	86.5	86.5	86.5	90.4	86.5	86.5	86.5	$17,393	$86	$17,307
University Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1613 S University Rd	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 558-4650	291	22	13.2	63.9%	208 (71.5%)	6 (2.1%)	35 (12.0%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	13 (4.5%)	22 (7.6%)	60.2	428^th of 1160 public elementary schools	63.1%		44.1	634^th of 1168 public elementary schools	45.7%	206	55.6	55.6	61.5	47.1	63.0			56.9	56.4	38.0	61.1			51.8	80.6	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	83.3	$20,061	$955	$19,106
South Pines Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12021 E 24th Ave	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 558-4400	288	19	15.2	60.4%	221 (76.7%)	5 (1.7%)	25 (8.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	30 (10.4%)	46.9	593^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	48.9%		62.1	420^th of 1168 public elementary schools	64.0%	173	53.7	53.7	50.0	38.5	54.8			47.9	63.2	33.3	40.5			45.4	76.9	79.5	79.5	79.5	79.5	79.5	84.6	79.5	79.5	79.5	$19,343	$679	$18,664
Sunrise Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10304 E 9th Ave	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	No	(509) 558-3600	644	39	16.5	25.8%	524 (81.4%)	8 (1.2%)	33 (5.1%)	19 (3.0%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	52 (8.1%)	87.3	139^th of 1160 public elementary schools	88.0%		88.3	127^th of 1168 public elementary schools	89.1%	12	69.4	69.4	76.2	76.0	68.5			73.7	80.0	78.3	55.6			71.6	86.8	86.8	88.2	88.2	88.2	86.8	90.8	88.2	86.8	86.8	$15,322	$311	$15,011
Opportunity Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 S Wilbur Rd	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 558-3550	631	43	14.7	74.0%	415 (65.8%)	31 (4.9%)	93 (14.7%)	8 (1.3%)	12 (1.9%)	10 (1.6%)	61 (9.7%)	30.5	818^th of 1160 public elementary schools	29.5%		30.7	807^th of 1168 public elementary schools	30.9%	11	49.5	49.5	29.3	36.0	47.6			37.8	42.0	40.0	32.0			38.0	73.9	79.6	78.4	78.4	78.4	78.4	85.2	78.4	78.4	78.4	$16,318	$1,119	$15,199
McDonald Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1512 S McDonald Rd	Spokane Valley	99216	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 558-5350	282	22	12.9	56.0%	201 (71.3%)	12 (4.3%)	30 (10.6%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.4%)	11 (3.9%)	23 (8.2%)	75.9	251^st of 1160 public elementary schools	78.4%		60.9	436^th of 1168 public elementary schools	62.7%	185	62.5	62.5	66.7	67.5	72.9			69.1	66.7	52.5	52.1			57.4	83.3	85.7	85.7	85.7	85.7	83.3	90.5	83.3	83.3	83.3	$20,868	$1,334	$19,534
Ruben Trejo Dual Language Academy	Public	K-8	6903 E 4th Ave	Spokane	99212	Spokane County	Spokane School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(509) 354-7500	275	21	13.4	25.5%	172 (62.5%)	3 (1.1%)	84 (30.5%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	53.8	507^th of 1160 public elementary schools	56.3%		65.7	376^th of 1168 public elementary schools	67.8%	131	48.0	48.0	69.2	65.7	56.0	52.0	40.0	58.0	53.9	61.1	28.0	16.0	30.0	40.2	91.7	93.8	93.8	93.8	93.8	93.8	91.7	93.8	93.8	93.8	$10,333	$1,362	$8,971
Broadway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11016 E Broadway Ave	Spokane Valley	99206	Spokane County	Central Valley School District	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 558-4100	282	21	13.3	71.3%	175 (62.1%)	11 (3.9%)	47 (16.7%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	13 (4.6%)	32 (11.3%)	34.1	764^th of 1160 public elementary schools	34.1%		42.1	654^th of 1168 public elementary schools	44.0%	110	36.5	36.5	50.0	37.0	42.3			43.0	63.6	30.4	26.9			39.4	69.1	76.2	76.2	76.2	76.2	73.8	76.2	76.2	73.8	73.8	$16,999	$1,472	$15,527
Ness Elementary	Public	1-5	9612 E Cataldo	Spokane	99206	Spokane County	West Valley School District (Spokane)	No	No	No	Yes	(509) 922-5470	243	15	15.8	75.3%	163 (67.1%)	6 (2.5%)	53 (21.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.6%)	15 (6.2%)	64.2	387^th of 1160 public elementary schools	66.6%		63.8	397^th of 1168 public elementary schools	66.0%	10	52.2	52.2	60.5	42.6	69.6			57.3	86.8	42.6	54.4			59.5											$18,593	$955	$17,638

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa Elementary

Is Ponderosa Elementary a good school?

Ponderosa Elementary ranks 259^th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 344 students attended Ponderosa Elementary.

What district is Ponderosa Elementary in?

Central Valley School District

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : University High School

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa Elementary?

Students at Ponderosa Elementary are 76% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% American Indian.

Rate Ponderosa Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Elementary School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Spokane Valley, WA

Sign up for updates!

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

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.