Bear Lake On-Line Learning

Bear Lake On-Line Learning is an online public school in Paris, ID serving 224 students in grades K–8 under the Bear Lake County District. It is the second-largest school in the district comparison, out-enrolling its physical neighbor Paris Elementary (134 students) and nearly tripling Georgetown Elementary (82 students). Its K–8 grade span is unique among nearby schools, as Paris Elementary, A J Winters Elementary, and Georgetown Elementary all serve only PK–5, meaning Bear Lake includes middle school grades that traditional elementary schools in the area do not.

Academically, Bear Lake On-Line Learning trails district and state averages in most subjects. In 2025–2026, only 32.2% of students were proficient in math, compared to 48.6% for the district and 43.1% for the state. ELA proficiency was 43.0%, below the district's 58.4% and the state's 54.0%. Science was the lowest-performing subject at 31.3%, versus 44.0% for the district. All three traditional district elementary schools outperform Bear Lake in math: Paris Elementary at 46.5%, A J Winters Elementary at 56.7%, and Georgetown Elementary at 64.5%. However, the school has improved steadily, with math proficiency climbing from 21.0% in 2022–2023 to 32.2% in 2025–2026, and its state rank percentile jumping from 19th to 34th in the most recent year.

A notable bright spot is 7th-grade ELA, where 60.0% proficiency exceeds the state average of 56.8% and approaches the district's 65.2%, suggesting the online model may work reasonably well for older students in literacy. Science, however, remains stagnant at roughly 28–31% over the past three years. The school does not report free/reduced lunch or student-teacher ratio data, making socioeconomic and staffing context difficult to assess compared to nearby schools. Despite being an online program, Bear Lake's 224-student enrollment indicates it serves as a district-wide option for families seeking flexibility, particularly for grades 6–8, where no nearby traditional campus exists.