Summary:
Cottonwood Joint District is served by a single high school, Prairie Junior/Senior High School, which enrolls 204 students in grades 7–12 in Cottonwood, ID, and anchors one of Idaho’s top-rated districts. Because there is only one high school, the school and Cottonwood Joint District are essentially identical in most metrics, and the district’s 5-star rating and 7th-place statewide ranking are driven entirely by this one school.
Prairie is a strong academic performer, especially in English Language Arts, where 71.7% of students are proficient compared to 54% statewide. Math proficiency is also solid at 58.0%, and science sits at 49.3%, both above state averages. The school’s chronic absenteeism rate is just 4.7%, roughly one-third of the state’s 13.8%, reflecting excellent attendance. However, the graduation rate of 82.5% exactly matches the state average, lagging behind what the test scores might suggest. Grade-level data shows 7th graders shine brightest, with 78.8% proficient in ELA and 72.7% in math, while 8th grade science is the only area below the state average at 40.0% versus 42.9%.
Prairie’s statewide ranking has been volatile, moving from 8th (5 stars) in 2022–2023 to 42nd (3 stars) in 2024–2025, then recovering to 19th (4 stars) in 2025–2026. This swing is common for small schools, where minor testing cohort changes can shift percentages significantly. The school improved by 11.3 points in ELA year-over-year but dropped 6.4 points in science. Only 21.6% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, a relatively low rate that often correlates with strong outcomes. Overall, Prairie is a healthy, high-performing school with clear strengths in literacy and attendance, but it has room to improve in science proficiency and ensuring more students graduate on time.
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