Kellogg Joint District

The Kellogg Joint District in Idaho serves four schools—Canyon Elementary School, Pinehurst Elementary School, Kellogg Middle School, and Kellogg High School—spanning grades PK through 12 in a small, rural community. The district ranks 73rd out of 101 Idaho districts (28th percentile, 1-star rating) and performs below state averages in most subjects, though this overall rating masks significant variation among its schools.

Canyon Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the 62nd percentile with 3 stars. Its math and ELA proficiency (50% and 60%) exceed state averages, and it has the lowest poverty rate (30.5%) and second-lowest chronic absenteeism (15.3%). By contrast, Kellogg Middle School is the most concerning, ranking in the 9th percentile with math proficiency of just 20.9% and chronic absenteeism of 50.2%. Pinehurst Elementary School also struggles, with math and ELA proficiency well below state averages despite a favorable student-teacher ratio of 16.1 and a poverty rate of 61.2%. Kellogg High School is improving, jumping from the 5th to the 29th percentile, but remains below state averages in all subjects, especially science (26.7% vs. 41.2% statewide).

Poverty and chronic absenteeism are strongly tied to outcomes in this district. The two lowest-performing schools—Pinehurst Elementary School and Kellogg Middle School—have the highest poverty and absenteeism, while Canyon Elementary School, the top performer, has the lowest. Notably, more spending and smaller class sizes do not guarantee better results: Kellogg High School spends the most per student yet posts the lowest science proficiency. With half of middle schoolers chronically absent, improving attendance is the district's most urgent priority. Understanding what Canyon Elementary School does differently—and replicating it—could help close the wide gaps in this small, rural Idaho district.