Enrollment
533
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Preston, ID
Pioneer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160096000709
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Idaho schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Preston · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.2:1
- large classes for Idaho
- 27.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Idaho schools. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Preston, ID.
School address
District: Preston Joint District · Idaho
NCES ID 160096000709 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.2:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
+42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.3%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary School
Pioneer Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Preston, Idaho, enrolling 533 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.2:1 is larger than about 94% of Idaho schools and 42% above the 17.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 27.3% lands close to the Idaho typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 533 puts it in the larger third of Idaho schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 775 Idaho schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 226 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Idaho schools statewide, it ranks #224, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 533 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding Preston Joint District spends $8,397 per pupil, 30% below the Idaho average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Preston Joint District also operates Preston High School (679 students) and Preston Jr High School (540 students) alongside Pioneer Elementary School.
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 Pioneer Elementary School compares
Pioneer Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Idaho and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Idaho | Idaho avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.2:1 | ▲ 42% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.3% | ▼ 7% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.2:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
24.2:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 94% in Idaho - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$8,397
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 533 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 85.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.2, Pioneer Elementary School is less mixed than the Idaho school average of 36.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Preston Joint District, which includes Pioneer Elementary School.
$8,397
Per student
-30%
vs Idaho
Avg $11,939
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.5%
State 73.0%
Federal 17.5%
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 Pioneer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Preston Jr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oakwood Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklin County High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~533 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Preston Joint District'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 Pioneer Elementary School
How many students attend Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has 533 students enrolled. It is a public school in Preston, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School is 24.2:1, which is 42% higher than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 54% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer Elementary School?
27.3% of students at Pioneer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary School is White at 85.7% of enrollment, in Preston, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (lower 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 Pioneer Elementary School rank among public schools in Preston?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Preston, ID. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Preston on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary School a good school?
Pioneer Elementary School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Preston Joint District?
Besides Pioneer Elementary School, Preston Joint District also operates Preston High School (679 students), Preston Jr High School (540 students), and Oakwood Elementary School (516 students). See the Preston Joint District 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.