Summary:
The Parma District in rural southwestern Idaho serves about 1,003 students across three schools: Maxine Johnson Elementary (PK–4), Parma Middle School (5–8), and Parma High School (9–12), with the district overall earning a 4-star rating and ranking 30th out of 101 Idaho districts.
Maxine Johnson Elementary is the clear academic standout. Despite a 56.5% free/reduced-price lunch rate, it posted the district's best scores: 63.4% math and 61.5% ELA proficiency, both well above state averages. Its statewide rank jumped from the 50th to 77th percentile in one year, earning 4 stars. Parma High School stands out for attendance and literacy: only 7.0% chronic absenteeism (vs. 13.8% statewide) and strong ELA (65.7%) and science (47.1%) proficiency, but math is a glaring weakness at 28.6%. Parma Middle School is the district's biggest concern, with below-average math (43.7%), ELA (49.8%), and science (37.2%), a 2-star rating, and the highest chronic absenteeism (13.9%).
Several patterns stand out. There is a sharp academic slide between elementary and middle school—math drops from 63.4% to 43.7%, and ELA from 61.5% to 49.8%—suggesting transition challenges and a need for more middle-school support. High school math is the district's weakest subject, despite higher per-student spending ($9,393) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (15.7). Interestingly, chronic absenteeism is lowest at the high school (7.0%) and highest at the middle school (13.9%), defying the typical trend. The high school's graduation rate of 82.5% matches the state average. For parents, the takeaways are clear: elementary students are thriving, high schoolers attend well and read well but struggle with math, and the middle school is where improvement is needed most.
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