Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Priest River Elementary School

Q: Is Priest River Elementary School a good school?

Priest River Elementary School ranks 242 nd of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Priest River Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Priest River Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Priest River Elementary School?

Students at Priest River Elementary School are 95% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Q: What schools do graduates of Priest River Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Priest River Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Priest River Lamanna High

Public Grades PK, KG-6

242^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 350 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Priest River Elementary School serves 356 students in grades PK–6 in the small rural community of Priest River, Idaho, within the West Bonner County District. The school presents a mixed picture: it now matches the state average in math with 43.4% proficiency, but its English Language Arts proficiency of 42.1% is the lowest among all nearby schools with reported data, well below the state average of 54.0%.

The school is improving, though. In just two years, math proficiency climbed from 30.7% to 43.4%, and Priest River's statewide rank rose from the 17th percentile to the 31st percentile in 2025–26. Reading, however, tells a more concerning story. While 3rd graders meet the state average in ELA (50.8% vs. 48.5%), proficiency falls steadily through upper grades, reaching just 35.4% in 6th grade—16 points below the state. Chronic absenteeism is likely a factor: 26.0% of students are chronically absent, nearly double the state rate of 13.8% and far higher than nearby Spirit Lake Elementary School's 8.2%.

Compared with neighbors, Priest River is a bright spot within its 1-star district but still trails schools in stronger districts like Lakeland District and Lake Pend Oreille School District. The school spends $11,553 per student, more than most nearby schools, yet that investment has not closed the literacy gap. An interesting comparison is Idaho Hill Elementary School, a same-district school just six miles away with similar attendance challenges, where ELA proficiency (56.0%) far exceeds Priest River's but math (30.7%) lags well behind. If Priest River can apply its successful math strategy to reading and target attendance in grades 4–6, it has a real path toward sustained improvement.

356

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,553

Per pupil spending ?

50.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

418 Harriet Street
Priest River, ID 83856-6568

(208) 448-1181

District: West Bonner County District

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.7%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Hispanic:

1.4%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Priest River Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 10th percentile in 2013 → 31st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 14% Idaho)

!English Language Arts scores 12 pts below the Idaho average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg40%

Idaho avg47%

242^nd of 350

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▲ up 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 10% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

85^th of 104West Bonner County District among Idaho districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	242 of 350	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	19.9	281 of 337	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	238 of 301	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.4	185 of 252	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.8	128 of 188	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.4	63 of 166	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	22.4	242 of 292	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	12.5	216 of 240	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	9.5	215 of 226	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.8	321 of 357	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	43.0	235 of 354	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.1	201 of 359	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	48.3	210 of 356	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	25.2	303 of 349	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.1	246 of 335	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?

Math43%~ state avg

English Language Arts42%-12 vs state

Science42%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Priest River Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Priest River Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Priest River Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISAT Math (2026)					ISAT Science (2026)		ISAT English Language Arts (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Priest River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	418 Harriet Street	Priest River	83856	Bonner County	West Bonner County District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 448-1181	356	20	17.8	50.8%	337 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.4%)	32.6	242^nd of 350 public elementary schools	30.9%		19.9	281^st of 337 public elementary schools	16.6%	39	45.9	37.1	46.3	45.8	43.4	41.9		50.8	39.7	40.5	35.4	42.1	$11,553	$2,171	$9,383
Idaho Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	402 East 3rd Street South	Oldtown	83822	Bonner County	West Bonner County District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 437-4227	126	8	15.0	43.7%	112 (88.9%)	1 (0.8%)	7 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)								(n/a)		< 29%	< 40%		30.7	≥ 45%	≥ 45%		< 53%	65.0	66.7	56.0	$14,167	$3,117	$11,050
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	Southside School Road	Cocolalla	83813	Bonner County	Lake Pend Oreille School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 263-3020	170	9	18.1	42.9%	146 (85.9%)	1 (0.6%)	11 (6.5%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.3%)	78.9	61^st of 350 public elementary schools	82.6%		85.1	45^th of 337 public elementary schools	86.6%	16	≥ 45%	60.7	≥ 54%	72.4	62.9	66.7		50.0	64.3	70.8	65.5	62.9	$9,382	$1,407	$7,975
Spirit Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	32605 North 5th Avenue	Spirit Lake	83869	Kootenai County	Lakeland District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 623-2501	290	17	17.0	37.2%	258 (89.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	64.8	109^th of 350 public elementary schools	68.9%		54.3	140^th of 337 public elementary schools	58.5%	31	66.1	44.2	61.5		57.7	53.8		69.5	44.2	61.5		58.9	$8,368	$1,101	$7,267
Sagle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	550 Sagle Road	Sagle	83860	Bonner County	Lake Pend Oreille School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 263-2757	264	16	16.6	37.9%	241 (91.3%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.5%)	46.9	186^th of 350 public elementary schools	46.9%		36	223^rd of 337 public elementary schools	33.8%	37	52.9	< 42%	34.1	< 43%	39.5	38.6		55.9	58.8	47.7	57.1	54.4	$8,495	$837	$7,658
Lposd Home School Academy	Public	K-8	430 South Division Avenue	Sandpoint	83864	Bonner County	Lake Pend Oreille School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 263-2184	4	1	4.0		4 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													$85,047	$109	$84,938
Farmin Stidwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1626 Spruce Street	Sandpoint	83864	Bonner County	Lake Pend Oreille School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 265-2417	510	29	17.5	54.1%	431 (84.5%)	2 (0.4%)	49 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	21 (4.1%)	39.6	212^th of 350 public elementary schools	39.4%		49.5	166^th of 337 public elementary schools	50.7%	46	48.9	40.8	47.6	41.2	44.8	55.6		47.7	32.4	52.4	44.9	44.4	$9,557	$1,587	$7,971
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	420 South Boyer Avenue	Sandpoint	83864	Bonner County	Lake Pend Oreille School District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 263-4759	329	17	19.4	35.6%	282 (85.7%)	2 (0.6%)	30 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	91.3	25^th of 350 public elementary schools	92.9%		89.8	26^th of 337 public elementary schools	92.3%	1	71.2	73.6	76.4	75.0	74.1	76.4		63.5	67.9	81.8	71.2	71.2	$8,283	$578	$7,705
Athol Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6333 East Menser Avenue	Athol	83801	Kootenai County	Lakeland District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 683-2231	287	17	16.8	27.2%	257 (89.5%)	2 (0.7%)	14 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (4.2%)	49.9	174^th of 350 public elementary schools	50.3%		61.1	113^th of 337 public elementary schools	66.5%	61	47.9	54.5	42.9		48.4	42.9		51.1	55.6	56.4		54.5	$8,738	$1,107	$7,630

Frequently Asked Questions about Priest River Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Priest River Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Priest River Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Priest River Lamanna High

Is Priest River Elementary School a good school?

Priest River Elementary School ranks 242^nd of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Priest River Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Priest River Elementary School.

What district is Priest River Elementary School in?

West Bonner County District

What is the racial makeup of Priest River Elementary School?

Students at Priest River Elementary School are 95% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Rate Priest River Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IDIdaho Elementary School Rankings

IDIdaho District Rankings

Schools in Priest River, ID

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Priest River Elementary School!

Latest Idaho data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 19, 2026

2025–26 ISAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesJan 19, 2026

2024–25 ISAT test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Idaho Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.