Summary:
West Bonner County District in rural northern Idaho is home to a single high school — Priest River Lamanna High in Priest River — serving grades 7 through 12 with a small enrollment of 396 students. Because it is the only high school in the West Bonner County District, its performance defines the district's secondary education entirely: the district ranks 82nd out of 101 Idaho districts, and the school itself sits in the bottom fifth of Idaho high schools at 99th out of 122, carrying a persistent 1-star rating across recent ranking cycles.
The school's most pressing academic challenge is math. Only 19% of students test proficient in math versus 43.1% statewide, and End of Course math exams show just 18.6% proficiency. Science is also weak at 24% versus 42.7% statewide, while English Language Arts is the relative strength at 37.3%, improving to 50% on the EOC exam. Chronic absenteeism is a serious concern: 22.6% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the 13.8% state average, and this likely contributes to the low scores. The school's 82.5% graduation rate matches the state average exactly, suggesting most students do graduate, but often without strong math or science mastery.
Year-to-year test results show instability, with math proficiency dropping 8.4 points and science falling 12.2 points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. About 42% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-teacher ratio of 15.7:1 points to a modest staff of roughly 25 teachers. The grade 7–12 structure combines middle and high school under one roof, which complicates comparisons with traditional high schools. For parents, the takeaway is clear: this small school graduates students at the state average and shows a literacy bright spot, but math, science, and attendance need urgent attention before its already-low academic standing slips further.
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