Ponder ISD
Ponder, Texas · Denton County · Grades Pre-K–12
Ponder ISD runs 3 schools (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high) with 1,719 students. By enrollment it is the 413th largest of 1210 districts in Texas, where the median district has 886 students. NCES classifies its area as rural, distant.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank compares the 1210 Texas districts listed on this site.
District at a glance
| Schools | 3 |
| Students | 1,719 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 126 |
| Students per teacher | 13.6 (state 14.9) |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 42.3% (state 61.6%) |
| County | Denton County |
| Area type | Rural, distant |
| NCES district ID | 4835310 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, totals of the district's schools. Students per teacher = students ÷ full-time-equivalent teachers.
Schools in Ponder ISD
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponder Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 773 | 14.9 | 45.3% |
| Ponder High School | High | 9–12 | 557 | 12.4 | 37.2% |
| Ponder Junior High School | Middle | 6–8 | 389 | 13.3 | 43.7% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25.
Map of Ponder ISD schools
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Ponder ISD in context
Size
Ponder ISD enrolls less than 0.1% of Texas' 5,544,769 public school students and is larger than the median district (886 students). The largest of its schools is Ponder Elementary School with 773 students, and the smallest is Ponder Junior High School with 389; the average is 573, against 626 statewide.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment. Share = district students ÷ all students in Texas schools listed here; averages = students ÷ schools.
Grades
Grade 10 is its largest grade, with 154 students this year. Grade 12 has 123 students and kindergarten has 102, 21% more in the later grade. Each grade is a different group of students, so this is not a dropout or growth rate. Ponder ISD enrolls 59 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade, all schools in the district.
Students
White students are the largest group in Ponder ISD at 56.5%, above their 24.4% share of Texas public school students. Hispanic students make up 38.1%.
42.3% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 61.6% statewide. By school, the share runs from 37.2% at Ponder High School to 45.3% at Ponder Elementary School.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District and state shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Staff
Its 126 full-time-equivalent teachers work out to 13.6 students per teacher, fewer than the state's 14.9. With 4 counselors it has 430 students per counselor; the median Texas district has 379, and the American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250. It reports 0.6 librarians or media specialists.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file (full-time equivalents). Students per counselor = district students ÷ counselors. Benchmark: American School Counselor Association, 250 students per counselor.
Location
NCES classifies Ponder ISD's area as rural, distant: in rural territory 5 to 25 miles from an urbanized area, or 2.5 to 10 miles from a town. The nearest district is Krum ISD, 6.6 miles away with 2,542 students. 26 districts are within 25 miles, and 18 of them enroll more students than Ponder ISD. Denton County has 15 districts on this site.
Source: NCES EDGE locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines between the average locations of each district's schools.
Staff
| Role | Full-time equivalent | Students per staff member |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers | 115.1 | 15 |
| School counselors | 4 | 430 |
| Librarians and media specialists | 0.6 | 2,865 |
| School psychologists | 0 | – |
| Instructional aides | 23.1 | 74 |
| Other student support staff | 6.3 | 273 |
| School administrators | 7 | 246 |
| District administrators | 3.5 | 491 |
| All staff | 213.6 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file. Students per staff member = district students ÷ full-time-equivalent staff in that role. The median Texas district has 379 students per counselor.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 56.5% |
| Hispanic | 38.1% |
| Two or more races | 3.3% |
| Black | 1.3% |
| Asian | 0.5% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership, all schools in the district.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 59 |
| Kindergarten | 102 |
| Grade 1 | 119 |
| Grade 2 | 114 |
| Grade 3 | 113 |
| Grade 4 | 124 |
| Grade 5 | 142 |
| Grade 6 | 143 |
| Grade 7 | 120 |
| Grade 8 | 126 |
| Grade 9 | 142 |
| Grade 10 | 154 |
| Grade 11 | 138 |
| Grade 12 | 123 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Nearby school districts
| District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Calendar 2026–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krum ISD | 7 mi | 2,542 | 14.7 | – |
| Argyle ISD | 7 mi | 6,166 | 16.8 | – |
| Northwest ISD | 13 mi | 32,098 | 15.4 | – |
| Denton ISD | 13 mi | 33,329 | 13.8 | – |
| Slidell ISD | 13 mi | 497 | 10.8 | – |
| Sanger ISD | 14 mi | 2,880 | 16.1 | – |
| North Texas Collegiate Academy | 14 mi | 809 | 17.2 | – |
| Westlake Academy Charter School | 15 mi | 877 | 14.8 | – |
Distance between the average locations of each district's schools (NCES EDGE).
Other school districts in Denton County
- Lewisville ISD (47,876 students)
- Denton ISD (33,329 students)
- Texas College Preparatory Academies (16,602 students)
- Little Elm ISD (8,036 students)
- Argyle ISD (6,166 students)
- Aubrey ISD (4,480 students)
- Lake Dallas ISD (3,717 students)
- Sanger ISD (2,880 students)
- Krum ISD (2,542 students)
- Pilot Point ISD (1,619 students)
- Leadership Prep School (1,391 students)
- North Texas Collegiate Academy (809 students)
- Trivium Academy (629 students)
- Bridgeway Preparatory Academy (108 students)
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, county of each district's office.
Contact
400 W Bailey, Ponder, TX 76259
Phone: (940)479-8200
Website: ponderisd.net
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory.