Blackfoot District

The Blackfoot District in Idaho serves about 3,744 students across 11 schools—six elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high-school-type schools—and currently ranks 69th out of 101 Idaho districts with a 2-star rating. Across every subject, the district trails the state average: All-Grades math proficiency is 36.8% versus 43.1% statewide, ELA is 42.4% versus 54.0%, and 5th-grade science is just 26.7% compared to 44.0% statewide.

Wapello Elementary School is the clear academic standout, ranking in the 53rd percentile with math proficiency of 48.5%, ELA of 49.5%, and 5th-grade science of 59.3%—more than double the district average and well above the state. Blackfoot Heritage Sixth Grade also impresses with 47.5% math proficiency and a low 10.6% chronic absenteeism rate, despite having the highest student-teacher ratio among traditional schools. At the other end, Fort Hall Elementary School faces the most severe challenges, with just 11.1% ELA proficiency and a 76.2% poverty rate, while Donald D Stalker Elementary ranks in the 4th percentile with math at 21.7% and ELA at 19.2%. Riverbend Elementary has declined steeply to the 4th percentile, and Blackfoot High School has a serious math problem at just 17.6% proficiency, despite solid end-of-course ELA and science scores.

Poverty and spending do not tell the whole story. Ridge Crest Elementary posts math proficiency above the state average despite a 54.3% poverty rate, while Independence Alternative High School spends the most per student ($12,278) yet ranks in the 3rd percentile. Chronic absenteeism generally aligns with low achievement—Independence at 30.7% and Donald Stalker at 20.4%—but Blackfoot High has the best attendance in the district and still struggles in math. The district's weighted poverty rate is roughly 46.3%. Overall, Blackfoot underperforms the state, but Wapello, Blackfoot Heritage, and Ridge Crest demonstrate that success is achievable within the same district and with similar resources.