Summary:
Council District is a small, rural Idaho school district serving approximately 282 students across just two schools: Council Elementary School (grades PK–6, 165 students) and Council Junior/Senior High School (grades 7–12, 117 students). The district overall ranks 36th out of 101 Idaho districts with a 3-star rating, but that average masks a dramatic split between its two schools.
Council Junior/Senior High School is the clear standout, currently ranked 10th out of 122 Idaho high schools (92nd percentile, 5 stars). This is a stunning turnaround — the school ranked 106th (last place) in 2022–2023 and 120th in 2023–2024 before jumping into the top 10. Its End-of-Course math proficiency is 62.5% versus 33.1% statewide, and End-of-Course science is 62.5% versus 41.2% statewide. The graduation rate of 82.5% matches the state average. In contrast, Council Elementary School sits at 292nd out of 346 Idaho elementary schools (16th percentile, 1 star). Only 3rd grade math (54.2%) beats the state average; most other subjects, especially ELA, fall well below.
The most consistent weakness district-wide is English Language Arts: elementary ELA proficiency is just 24.7% versus 54% statewide, and high school ELA is 38.3% versus 54%. Science tells a two-sided story — excellent End-of-Course results, but weak 5th grade (23.1% vs. 44%) and 8th grade (34.8% vs. 42.9%) scores. Resource disparities are notable: the high school spends $12,736 per student with an 11.5 student-teacher ratio, while the elementary school spends $8,678 with a 19.5 ratio. Chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, with the district rate at 5.6% versus 13.8% statewide. Given the small enrollments, proficiency percentages can swing sharply with just a few students, so rankings should be interpreted with some caution — but the high school’s rise is undeniably impressive.
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