Summary:
Cascade, Idaho is a small town served by two public schools in the Cascade District—Cascade Junior/Senior High School and Cascade Elementary School—together enrolling about 215 students across grades PK through 12. The district holds a 4-star rating and ranks 28th out of 101 Idaho districts, with no separate middle school; the junior/senior high school serves grades 6 through 12.
The clear standout is Cascade Junior/Senior High School, which has ranked in the top 15 of Idaho high schools in recent years (5th in 2020–21, 6th in 2021–22, 15th in 2023–24) with a 5-star rating. It far exceeds state averages in math (62.9% vs. 43.1%) and ELA (67.7% vs. 54.0%), and enjoys a favorable 10.4 student-teacher ratio. Cascade Elementary School is a remarkable improvement story: it climbed from the 17th percentile (1 star) in 2012–13 to the 66th percentile (3 stars) by 2025–26, now outperforming the state in math and science. The elementary school serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students (43.7% free/reduced-price lunch vs. 32.1% at the high school), making its progress especially notable.
However, both schools face challenges. Chronic absenteeism is elevated at both schools—20.6% at the high school and 16.5% at the elementary school, compared to the 13.8% state average. Science proficiency is reversed between the schools: the elementary school exceeds the state (50.0% vs. 42.6%), while the high school lags (39.3% vs. 42.6%). Also, despite strong overall ELA scores, the high school's 6th and 7th grade ELA results fall below state averages, suggesting the middle grades could use attention. With only 100–115 students per school, small cohorts make metrics volatile. Overall, the district performs remarkably well given its size, with a high-performing secondary school and an elementary school on a strong upward trajectory.
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