Summary:
Joint School District No. 2 in Idaho serves 11 middle schools across grades 6-8, and while the district ranks 12th of 101 Idaho districts (4 stars) with ISAT proficiency well above state averages in math (57.6% vs. 43.1%) and ELA (69.1% vs. 54.0%), there is enormous variation from school to school. Enrollment ranges from about 122 to 1,075 students, and math proficiency spans from 19.8% to 66.0% while ELA spans from 33.6% to 79.0% — a much wider internal gap than the district's advantage over the state.
Four schools lead the district. Heritage Middle School is the academic leader, ranked #14 statewide with the highest math proficiency (66%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (10.7%). Victory Middle School has the highest ELA proficiency (79%) and earns 5 stars while serving the largest enrollment (1,075 students). Eagle Middle School posts the best 8th-grade science score (68.6%) and the top single grade-level result in the district — 84.4% in 7th-grade ELA. Lowell Scott Middle School outperforms its demographics: despite a 35.2% free/reduced-lunch rate, it ranks #20 statewide with strong math (61.4%), ELA (74.9%), and science (68.4%) scores.
Meridian Middle School is the biggest concern: its ranking has fallen from #65 to #98 over two years, and it is the only comprehensive school below state averages in both math (38.4%) and ELA (52.2%), alongside the highest chronic absenteeism (23.9%) among traditional schools. Crossroads and Pathways are small alternative programs (roughly 122 students) that spend far more per student ($11,165 and $10,779) yet show the lowest scores, indicating they serve specialized at-risk populations not directly comparable to other schools. Most schools exceed district and state chronic absenteeism rates, and attendance closely tracks achievement — making it a key area to watch.
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