Enrollment
494
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Meridian, ID
Mary Mcpherson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mary Mcpherson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160210000368
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Mcpherson Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools.
- #17 of 23
- schools in Meridian · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 14.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Mcpherson Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Mcpherson Elementary ranks #17 of 23 schools in Meridian, ID.
School address
District: Joint School District No. 2 · Idaho
NCES ID 160210000368 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.7%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Mcpherson Elementary compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Mcpherson Elementary
Mary Mcpherson Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Meridian, Idaho, enrolling 494 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 494 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #111.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 494 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Joint School District No. 2 spends $8,438 per pupil, 29% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Joint School District No. 2 also operates Mountain View High School (2,463 students) and Owyhee High School (1,884 students) alongside Mary Mcpherson Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mary Mcpherson Elementary compares
Mary Mcpherson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.7% | ▼ 50% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Idaho average of 29.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Idaho - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$8,438
per pupil, district-wide
- below Idaho avg of $11,939
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 494 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 72.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 4.3%
African American 2.4%
Largest group: White at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.1, Mary Mcpherson Elementary is more mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joint School District No. 2, which includes Mary Mcpherson Elementary.
$8,438
Per student
-29%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 63.9%
Federal 14.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Mary Mcpherson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owyhee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rocky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meridian High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eagle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Mcpherson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,884
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,774
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,765
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Idaho, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~494 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Mcpherson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mary Mcpherson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Joint School District No. 2's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mary Mcpherson Elementary
How many students attend Mary Mcpherson Elementary?
Mary Mcpherson Elementary has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Meridian, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Mcpherson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Mcpherson Elementary is 19:1, which is 11% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary Mcpherson Elementary?
14.7% of students at Mary Mcpherson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Mcpherson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mary Mcpherson Elementary is White at 72.9% of enrollment, in Meridian, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Mcpherson Elementary?
Mary Mcpherson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mary Mcpherson Elementary rank among schools in Meridian?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Mcpherson Elementary ranks #17 of 23 schools in Meridian, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Meridian on the city page.
Is Mary Mcpherson Elementary a good school?
Mary Mcpherson Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Idaho schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Joint School District No. 2?
Besides Mary Mcpherson Elementary, Joint School District No. 2 also operates Mountain View High School (2,463 students), Owyhee High School (1,884 students), and Rocky Mountain High School (1,848 students). See the Joint School District No. 2 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.