Summary:
Star, Idaho is a growing city within the Joint School District No. 2, served by just two public schools — Star Elementary School (PK–5) and Star Middle School (6–8) — with a combined enrollment of 1,740 students and no high school located within the city limits.
Star Middle School is the clear academic anchor of the city, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 83rd percentile statewide. It outperforms state averages by significant margins: 57% math proficiency versus 43.1% statewide, 69% ELA versus 54%, and 58.9% 8th-grade science versus 42.9% statewide. In fact, Star Middle School performs almost exactly in line with its already strong district. Star Elementary School, by contrast, holds a 3-star rating and sits at the 56th percentile, lagging its district by roughly 11 points in math, 9 points in ELA, and 13 points in science.
The most pressing concerns center on Star Elementary School, where chronic absenteeism has reached 23.6% — nearly one in four students — compared to 16.7% at Star Middle School and just 12.7% districtwide. Star Elementary School also serves a higher-need population, with 34.25% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch versus 20.93% at Star Middle School, yet it spends $988 less per student. Additionally, Star Elementary School shows a troubling decline in math proficiency by grade, dropping from 55.4% in 3rd grade to 40.9% in 5th grade, even as ELA scores improve. Both schools have slipped in statewide rankings in recent years, and with no high school in Star, students must leave the city after 8th grade — making strong elementary and middle school foundations especially critical.
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