Summary:
Butte County Joint District is a small, two-school district centered in Arco, Idaho, serving roughly 372 students in grades PK-12 across Arco Elementary School (PK-6, 186 students) and Butte County Middle/High School (7-12, 186 students), with both buildings located on South Water Street in this geographically compact, small-town community.
Butte County Middle/High School stands out as the district's strongest academic performer. Its ELA proficiency is exceptionally high at 71.7%, well above the state average of 54.0%, and its 7th grade results are remarkable: 80% ELA and 72% math proficiency versus state averages of 56.8% and 43.6%. All-grades math also improved sharply from 38.1% to 46.7% year over year. Arco Elementary School presents a more mixed picture: early-grade math is solid (3rd grade at 54.2% vs. 50.9% statewide), but 5th grade shows a concerning slump across every subject — math falls to 26.5% versus 42.2% statewide, science to 35.3% versus 44.0%, and ELA to 48.6% versus 55.2%.
Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with both schools exceeding the state rate of 13.8%: Arco Elementary at 15.9% and Butte County Middle/High at 18.8%. The elementary school also serves a higher-poverty population (50% free/reduced lunch) than the secondary school (36%). Interestingly, the district itself ranks at the 65th percentile in Idaho (3 stars), while both schools rank below the 50th percentile in their own school-level rankings — a reminder that with only 186 students per building, small changes in cohorts can cause rankings to shift. The most urgent areas for improvement are high-school end-of-course science (28.6% vs. 41.2% statewide) and that 5th-grade dip at Arco Elementary, making it a clear intervention point.
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