Summary:
The Pocatello District serves about 11,130 students across 23 schools, including 13 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 5 high schools, and an alternative program, in the Pocatello, Idaho area. The district ranks 38th out of 101 Idaho districts (62nd percentile, 3 stars), but this average hides a wide range of school performance. The top overall performer is Edahow Elementary School, ranked 2nd in the state with 81.9% math and 83.9% ELA proficiency despite a 43.8% free/reduced lunch rate. Gate City Elementary School is the best traditional elementary (54th in state), and Franklin Middle School leads its level with 56.5% math and 69.4% ELA.
At the high school level, Century High School is the highest-ranked (25th in the state) and posts the best End-of-Course ELA scores (74.4%), but its chronic absenteeism rate of 28.6% is a concern. Pocatello High School is the most improved, climbing from the 48th to 63rd percentile in two years and actually outscoring Century in math, ELA, and science in 2024–2025. By contrast, New Horizon High School has the highest per-student spending ($13,073) and lowest student-teacher ratio (6.1:1), yet records the lowest ELA proficiency (9.6%) and highest absenteeism (41.7%), showing money alone doesn’t drive results.
Chronic absenteeism is systemic across secondary schools: all high schools and most middle schools exceed the 13.8% state rate, with Irving Middle School at 24.8% and Alameda Middle School at 24.5%. High-poverty elementary schools like Jefferson Elementary School, Tyhee Elementary School, and Claude A Wilcox Elementary School struggle with proficiency in the 30–40% range. The Pocatello Community Charter School offers the best attendance (6.8% absenteeism) and solid science scores, though its math and ELA lag district averages. Overall, Edahow and Franklin prove that moderate poverty does not prevent top-tier achievement.
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