Potlatch District

The Potlatch District is a small, rural Idaho district serving about 448 students across just two schools: Potlatch Elementary School (grades PK–6, 239 students) and Potlatch Junior/Senior High School (grades 7–12, 209 students), with the district as a whole ranked 61st out of 101 Idaho districts and holding a 2-star rating.

The two schools have opposite academic profiles. Potlatch Elementary is strongest in math, with 48.6% proficiency compared to the state's 43.1%, and its 6th-grade math is outstanding at 71.4% proficient. However, the elementary lags in English Language Arts (42.9% vs. 54.0% statewide). Potlatch Junior/Senior High, meanwhile, excels in ELA, posting 48.5% proficiency and an end-of-course ELA rate of 65.2%—above the state average of 61.3%. The high school has improved dramatically, jumping from the 35th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 65th percentile in 2025–2026 (3 stars). High school math, however, is a concern at 35.4% versus 43.1% statewide, with 8th-grade math especially weak at 25.8%.

Attendance is another major divide: chronic absenteeism is just 4.2% at the elementary versus 16.9% at the high school—well above the state rate of 13.8%. There is also a striking 4th-grade slump at the elementary, where math proficiency plunges from 61.8% in 3rd grade to 22.0% in 4th grade before rebounding to 71.4% by 6th grade. Science is a district-wide weakness, though the high school's end-of-course science (47.8%) is above the state (41.2%). The elementary serves a higher share of low-income students (42.7% free/reduced lunch) than the high school (33.5%) yet posts stronger math and attendance results. For parents, the key takeaway is that Potlatch offers strong elementary math and improving high school ELA, but the 4th-grade dip and high school absenteeism are worth watching closely.