Priest River Lamanna High

Priest River Lamanna High serves 396 students in grades 7 through 12 in Priest River, Idaho, part of the West Bonner County District, and currently ranks in the bottom fifth of Idaho high schools with a 1-star rating. The school has followed a clear downward trend over the past decade, dropping from a 3-star ranking in the 67th percentile in 2012–2013 to a 1-star ranking in the 19th percentile for 2025–2026. Economic need among the student body has also grown quickly, with 42.4% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025, up sharply from 25.3% just two years earlier.

Academic proficiency at Priest River Lamanna trails both state averages and nearby schools by wide margins. On the 2024–2025 ISAT assessments, 27.4% of students were proficient in math and 38.8% in English language arts, well below the state averages of 43.1% and 53.9%. The contrast with Sandpoint High School is especially stark, with Sandpoint posting 51.5% math proficiency and 80.5% ELA proficiency, while Timberlake Senior High School reached 46.5% and 74.6%. Graduation rates are a serious concern, ranging from 59.7% to 66.2% over the last four years—roughly 20 points below the state average. Chronic absenteeism is also elevated, with 26.8% of students missing significant school days in 2024–2025, nearly double the state rate of 14.6%. Among nearby peers, only the small alternative school, Lake Pend Oreille High School, has a higher absenteeism rate.

The school's spending presents a puzzling contrast with its results: at $13,902 per student, it outspends Sandpoint High ($10,083) and Timberlake Senior High ($9,680) by 30–50%, yet produces far weaker academic outcomes. This suggests that additional funding alone has not translated into better results, and a closer look at how resources are allocated could reveal opportunities for improvement. For parents, the most pressing issues appear to be attendance, math achievement, and graduation rates—areas where the school has struggled for years, but where targeted interventions could make a meaningful difference for students.