Enrollment
203
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bismarck, ND
Pioneer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380001400054
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #11 of 19
- elementary schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- students per teacher
- 65.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Elementary School has class sizes near the North Dakota median. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND.
School address
District: Bismarck 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380001400054 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.7%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+133% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elementary School
Pioneer Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 203 students.
At 11.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 65.7% of students qualify for free meals, 133% above the North Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 203 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Two or More (13%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 406 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Bismarck 1 spends $14,037 per pupil, 24% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bismarck's elementary schools, it stands alongside Victor Solheim Elementary School (588 students): Pioneer Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 15.5:1).
Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Century High School (1,406 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 North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 4% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.7% | ▲ 133% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 203 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
203
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 133% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,037
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 63.5%
Two or More 13.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.0%
African American 2.5%
Largest group: White at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Pioneer Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bismarck 1, which includes Pioneer Elementary School.
$14,037
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 55.3%
Federal 16.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bismarck High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Simle Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,406
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Bismarck
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Victor Solheim Elementary School
Standard public school
588 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Elk Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
510 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Robert Place Miller Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Elementary School
Standard public school
445 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Northridge Elementary School
Standard public school
410 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~203 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bismarck 1'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 203 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bismarck, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elementary School is 11.3:1, which is 4% lower than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pioneer Elementary School?
65.7% of students at Pioneer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elementary School is White at 63.5% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elementary School?
Pioneer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pioneer Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bismarck?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elementary School ranks #11 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bismarck on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elementary School a good school?
Pioneer Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota 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 Bismarck 1?
Besides Pioneer Elementary School, Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students), Century High School (1,406 students), and Bismarck High School (1,367 students). See the Bismarck 1 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.