West Bonner County District

Located in Idaho, the West Bonner County District serves 927 students across four schools — Priest River Lamanna High (grades 7–12), Priest River Elementary School (PK–6), Idaho Hill Elementary School (PK–6), and Priest Lake Elementary School (PK–7). The district holds a 1-star rating, ranking 82nd out of 101 Idaho districts, with overall math proficiency of 32.6%, ELA proficiency of 43.4%, and science proficiency of 30.5% — all below state averages. One of the most pressing challenges is chronic absenteeism, which affects 22% to 26% of students at every school, roughly double the state rate of 13.8%.

The standout is Priest Lake Elementary School, which posts exceptional results with 60% math proficiency and 76% ELA proficiency, far exceeding the district and state. It also has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (34.7%) and the smallest student-teacher ratio (14.2). Idaho Hill Elementary School excels in English Language Arts with 56% proficiency, up from 45.5% the prior year, while its math proficiency sits at 30.7%. Priest River Elementary School is the math bright spot, matching the state at 43.4% math proficiency, though its ELA (42.1%) remains below the state.

Academic performance varies widely by school type. The three elementary schools outperform Priest River Lamanna High in every subject — high school math proficiency is just 19.0% and ELA is 37.3%, with end-of-course math even lower at 18.6%. The high school's graduation rate of 82.5% matches the state, but the sharp decline in math proficiency warrants attention. While the district is low-performing overall, strong local options exist. Parents will find excellent elementary choices, particularly at Priest Lake for both subjects and Idaho Hill for reading, but should be mindful of the district's absenteeism problem and the high school's math struggles.