Sandpoint High School

Sandpoint High School is a large, comprehensive public high school in Sandpoint, Idaho, serving roughly 1,000 students in grades 9–12 as part of the Lake Pend Oreille School District, a strong district ranked in the top quarter of Idaho districts. The school currently holds a 4-star state ranking (23rd out of 122 Idaho high schools) and has recovered impressively from a pandemic-era dip, posting its best result in a decade when it ranked 14th in the state in 2024–2025.

Academically, Sandpoint is a clear regional standout. English Language Arts proficiency reached 80.3% on the latest End-of-Course exam, well above the state average of 61.3%, and science proficiency hit 64.2% versus 41.2% statewide. Math scores are more modest but still beat state and district averages. The school outperforms close neighbor Forrest M Bird Charter School in every core subject except science, despite having far larger classes and lower per-student spending. It also posts far better results than Priest River Lamanna High, where ELA proficiency sits at just 38.8%, and than Lake Pend Oreille High School, a same-district alternative school serving a much higher-needs population.

One of the most striking improvements is attendance: chronic absenteeism plummeted from 26.4% in 2022–2023 to just 1.7% today, far below the 13.8% state average. Graduation rates have historically run well above state averages, though parents will want to watch the latest reported figure of 82.5%. The school also does notably well with economically disadvantaged students, earning a 4-star subgroup rating even as the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch has climbed to 27.6%. The main internal gap is by gender—female students rate 4 stars while male students lag at 2 stars—making boys' achievement a key area to watch. Overall, Sandpoint delivers strong, efficient results, achieving above-state outcomes with lower per-student spending than its regional peers.