Elementary Schools in Middleton District

Middleton District in Idaho is home to three elementary schools serving grades PK-5, enrolling about 1,716 students combined in a district rated 4 stars and ranked 27th of 101 Idaho districts. Middleton Mill Creek Elementary is the clear academic leader, ranking 68th of 346 Idaho elementary schools (80th percentile) with 4 stars, while Middleton Heights Elementary ranks 127th (63rd percentile, 3 stars) and Purple Sage Elementary ranks 203rd (41st percentile, 2 stars). Mill Creek posts the highest math (62.4%) and ELA (65.6%) proficiency across all grades, and is the only school above the district average in both subjects. Heights counters with the district’s best 5th-grade science proficiency at 63.4% and the highest 5th-grade ELA at 71.1%, but its 3rd-grade scores are the lowest in the district. Purple Sage trails in most metrics, with the lowest all-grade math (46.5%) and ELA (47.6%) proficiency.

Chronic absenteeism runs well above the state average of 13.8% at all three schools, but the elementary rates (18.5%–22.2%) are far below the district-wide 42.1%, suggesting the problem is concentrated elsewhere. Mill Creek has the lowest absenteeism (18.5%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (27.4%), while Heights has the highest poverty rate (38.1%) yet still achieves strong science results. Purple Sage has the highest absenteeism (22.2%) and lowest scores despite spending the most per student ($7,504) and having the smallest classes (16.4:1). Mill Creek spends the least per student ($6,395) with a higher student-teacher ratio (17.2:1), yet gets the best outcomes, undercutting the assumption that more spending or smaller classes automatically lead to better results.

Grade-level trends reveal very different trajectories. Purple Sage’s math proficiency drops steadily from 53.3% in 3rd grade to 39.0% in 5th grade, while Heights’ ELA proficiency jumps 28 points from 3rd to 5th grade. Mill Creek remains consistently strong, with all math and ELA scores clustered between 59% and 69%. Over three years, Mill Creek’s state rank percentile has stayed high (78–81%), while Heights has slipped from 72nd to 63rd percentile and Purple Sage has remained low (41–46th percentile). For parents, Mill Creek is the district’s standout overall, Heights offers excellent upper-grade science and reading, and Purple Sage is the highest-need school, where targeted intervention around attendance and math could make the biggest difference.