Salmon River Joint School District

The Salmon River Joint School District serves 173 students across two schools in rural Idaho: Riggins Elementary School (PK–5) and Salmon River Junior/Senior High School (6–12). The district is small, with a 1-star rating and a statewide rank of 83rd out of 101 districts, and the two schools tell very different stories.

Academically, Salmon River Junior/Senior High School is the clear standout. It posts strong science proficiency (71.4%, far above Idaho’s 42.7%) and solid English language arts scores (68.4%, above the state’s 54.0%). Even its math proficiency (42.1%) is close to the state average. In contrast, Riggins Elementary School trails the state in every subject, including science at just 31.3% versus 44.0% statewide. Elementary math also dropped sharply from 51.4% to 37.0% in one year, while the high school’s math improved by 6.5 points. This reversal—older students outperforming younger ones—is unusual and suggests the elementary school may need extra support.

Both schools face challenges. Chronic absenteeism runs higher than the state average of 13.8%, with Salmon River Junior/Senior High School at 21.5% and Riggins Elementary School at 15.7%. Poverty levels also differ: 68.5% of elementary students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to 51.9% at the high school. Both schools spend $20,090 per student, though the high school has a lower student-teacher ratio (9.3 vs. 11.5). Because enrollments are tiny—roughly 80–90 students per school—one student equals about 1% of enrollment, so proficiency swings can be dramatic. Still, the high school’s subject-level strengths suggest the district’s low overall rating may be driven by elementary performance and absenteeism rather than a lack of academic potential.