Forrest M Bird Charter School

Forrest M Bird Charter School is a small public charter school in Sandpoint, Idaho, serving 255 students in grades 6–12. The school operates as its own district, Sandpoint Charter School Inc., which ranks 50th out of 101 Idaho districts. In 2025–2026, the school earned a 4-star rating and climbed to 35th out of 122 Idaho schools, a sharp jump from the previous year's 80th-place ranking — though that ranking has been volatile from year to year. The school maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 10.9:1 and spends about $9,367 per student, the lowest of nearby schools.

Academically, the school has a split personality. The high school science program is genuinely strong: students posted 64.7% proficiency on the End-of-Course Science exam, far above the state average of 41.2% and essentially matching nearby Sandpoint High School's 64.2%. High school English language arts is also solid at 66.7% proficiency, above the state's 61.3%. But the middle school grades lag significantly. Just 17.9% of 8th graders are proficient in math, compared with 41.2% statewide, and 8th grade science proficiency sits at 27.5% versus the state's 42.9%. Overall math proficiency across all grades is 29%, well below the state average of 43.1%.

The most immediate concern is attendance. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is 28.1% — roughly double the state average of 13.8%. That stands out even more because Sandpoint High School, located just a quarter-mile away, has only 1.7% chronic absenteeism. The graduation rate has swung widely in recent years, from 68.1% in 2020–2021 to 92.0% in 2023–2024, before settling at 82.5% in 2024–2025, exactly matching the state average. With small classes and efficient spending, the school has a solid foundation, but improving attendance and shoring up middle school math would likely have the biggest impact on its overall performance.