Enrollment
411
Idaho · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Meridian, ID
Ponderosa Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ponderosa Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 160210000770
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponderosa Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median.
- #4 of 23
- schools in Meridian · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 20.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ponderosa Elementary School has class sizes near the Idaho median. Computed live against every Idaho school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary School ranks #4 of 23 schools in Meridian, ID.
School address
District: Joint School District No. 2 · Idaho
NCES ID 160210000770 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.1:1 Idaho avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.6%
vs 29.3% Idaho avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponderosa Elementary School compares with Idaho and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponderosa Elementary School
Ponderosa Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Meridian, Idaho, enrolling 411 students.
At 16.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Idaho median, within a few percentage points of the 17.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 411 students, its enrollment sits close to the Idaho median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 775 scored Idaho schools.
Against 226 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 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 Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa Elementary School compares
Ponderosa 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 4% | 17.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.6% | ▼ 30% | 29.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
411
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 46% in Idaho - lower ratio than 54% 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 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 2.7%
Asian 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Ponderosa Elementary School 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 Ponderosa Elementary School.
$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 Ponderosa Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Owyhee High School | Larger | Lower 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponderosa Elementary School'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 (~411 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponderosa Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ponderosa Elementary School 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 Ponderosa Elementary School
How many students attend Ponderosa Elementary School?
Ponderosa Elementary School has 411 students enrolled. It is a public school in Meridian, ID.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 4% lower than the Idaho average of 17.1:1 and 4% higher 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 Ponderosa Elementary School?
20.6% of students at Ponderosa Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Idaho average of 29.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponderosa Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ponderosa Elementary School is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Meridian, ID.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponderosa Elementary School?
Ponderosa Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Ponderosa Elementary School rank among schools in Meridian?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa Elementary School ranks #4 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 Ponderosa Elementary School a good school?
Ponderosa Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Idaho median. 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 Ponderosa Elementary School, 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.