Summary:
Declo, Idaho is home to just one middle school — Declo Junior High School — which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 249 students in the Cassia County Joint District. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the upper half of Idaho middle schools, placing 78th out of 174 schools in the most recent year (55th percentile). It has remained consistently solid over the past three years, though its percentile has slipped slightly from 59th to 55th.
Academically, Declo Junior High School stands out for its math performance. Overall math proficiency is 51.5%, well above the district's 37.1% and the state's 43.1%. Sixth-grade math is particularly strong at 63.6%, a 21-point gap over the state average. English Language Arts proficiency is 53.3%, nearly matching the state's 54.0% while outpacing the district's 44.6%. Science is the weakest subject: 8th-grade proficiency is 36.6%, below the state's 42.9%. A notable concern is the decline in proficiency as students advance. Math drops from 63.6% in 6th grade to 40.5% in 7th grade, and ELA falls from 67.5% in 6th grade to 45.1% in 8th grade, suggesting 7th and 8th grade are critical areas for intervention.
The school also excels in attendance. Chronic absenteeism is just 7.4%, nearly half the district's 12.5% and well below the state's 13.8%. It significantly outperforms its district in every subject, indicating it is a relative academic strength within the Cassia County Joint District, even though the district itself is rated lower statewide. Spending per student is $7,444 (2018-2019 data) and the student-teacher ratio is 18:1. Parents should note that free/reduced lunch data is not reported, which limits socioeconomic context, but the overall picture is of a solid, above-average middle school with strong math instruction and an excellent attendance climate.
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