Sandpoint Charter School Inc.

Sandpoint Charter School Inc. is a single-school district in Sandpoint, Idaho, serving grades 6 through 12 at Forrest M Bird Charter School, a small charter school with 255 students. The school has made a dramatic improvement in its state ranking, jumping from the 43rd percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 71st percentile (4 stars) in 2025-2026, despite a temporary dip to 1 star in between. This turnaround places the school in a strong position overall, and it stands out for exceptional high school-level results, particularly in End of Course Science (64.7% proficient, 23.5 points above the state average) and End of Course ELA (66.7% proficient, 5.4 points above the state average).

Academically, the school presents a mixed picture. Overall math proficiency is 29.0%, well below the state's 43.1%, and the school trails the state in every grade-level math category—most strikingly in 8th grade, where only 17.9% of students are proficient versus 41.2% statewide, a 23.3-point gap. Science and ELA proficiency across all grades are near the state average (44.6% vs. 42.7% and 52.5% vs. 54.0%, respectively), but 8th-grade scores in all subjects are notably low. Year-over-year, ELA improved by 3.3 points, while math and science declined by 6.9 and 3.0 points, respectively. The graduation rate of 82.5% matches the state average exactly.

The school's biggest concern is chronic absenteeism: 28.1% of students are chronically absent, more than double the state rate of 13.8%, which likely contributes to the middle-school achievement gaps. Math remains a consistent weakness across all grade levels, especially in middle school, even as high school End of Course scores approach or exceed state averages. On a positive note, the school offers a low student-teacher ratio of 10.9:1, providing an intimate learning environment that may support its high school strengths. Per-student spending of $9,367 is from 2018-2019 and should be interpreted cautiously. For parents, the key takeaway is that Forrest M Bird Charter School excels in high school science and ELA, but addressing middle-school math proficiency and student attendance will be critical to sustaining its improved ranking.