Thomas Jefferson Charter

Thomas Jefferson Charter is a K-12 public charter school in Caldwell, Idaho, serving 364 students and operating as its own single-school district, Thomas Jefferson Charter School Inc. The school’s latest ISAT scores are well above state averages: 71.4% proficient in math (state: 43.1%), 69.2% in science (state: 42.7%), and 78.4% in English language arts (state: 54.0%). This places the school in the upper tier of an area already rich in high-performing charters.

What really sets Thomas Jefferson apart is how it achieves these results. Chronic absenteeism is only 2.4%—far below the state average of 13.8% and lower than most nearby charters, including Vision Charter School (7.9%) and Idaho Arts Charter School (14.5%). The student-teacher ratio of 15.4:1 is the lowest among comparable area charters, well under Liberty Charter School (23.0) and Victory Charter School (22.2). Notably, the school has maintained strong scores even as its free/reduced-price lunch population rose from 11.75% to 36.5% over three years—outperforming Compass Public Charter School and Victory Charter School in several subjects despite serving more economically disadvantaged students. It also easily beats its closest geographic neighbor, Vision Charter School, in math (71.4% vs. 59.9%), science (69.2% vs. 54.0%), and ELA (78.4% vs. 72.3%).

Two areas deserve attention. Third-grade ELA proficiency is 50%, barely above the state average and far behind top charters like Victory Charter School (79.3%)—a possible early-literacy weakness. Graduation rates have also been volatile, swinging from 64.3% in 2022–2023 to 90.0% the following year, though the small high school cohort makes this metric sensitive to a few students. On the positive side, middle school performance is exceptional, and science proficiency has climbed steadily from 56.8% to 69.2% in three years. Overall, Thomas Jefferson combines near-best-in-class attendance, small classes, and strong academics, making it a compelling option for families—with the caveat that early reading and graduation rates should be monitored.