Elementary Schools in Caldwell District

The Caldwell District in Idaho is home to 5 elementary schools — Washington Elementary School, Van Buren Elementary School, Wilson Elementary School, Sacajawea Elementary School, and Lewis And Clark Elementary — serving about 2,055 students, mostly in PK through 4th grade. The district ranks 98th out of 101 Idaho districts with a 0-star rating, and all five schools sit at or below the 9th percentile statewide.

Van Buren Elementary School is the strongest overall performer, with the highest all-grades math (30.0%) and ELA (31.4%) proficiency, and it is the only school above the district ELA average. It also improved in both subjects year over year. Wilson Elementary School shows the district's potential: its 3rd grade math (44.9%) and ELA (39.1%) lead the district by far, but 4th grade scores collapse to 13.0% and 16.9%. Washington Elementary School, the largest at 481 students, is the only one where 4th grade math exceeds 3rd grade. Lewis And Clark Elementary spends the most per student ($8,562) yet has the lowest math proficiency (15.9%), while Sacajawea Elementary School ranks last in the state at 346th of 346.

The most striking districtwide pattern is the 3rd-to-4th grade decline: average math proficiency drops 10.4 points and ELA drops 8.6 points, hitting nearly every school. Chronic absenteeism averages 23.5%, well above the state rate of 13.8%, and 73% to 78% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Higher spending and smaller classes do not clearly translate into better outcomes here. For parents, Van Buren Elementary School is the current academic leader, while Wilson Elementary School shows the district's early-grade potential is real but not yet sustained through 4th grade.