Wapello Elementary School

Wapello Elementary School is a K–5 school in Blackfoot, ID, serving 211 students and ranking as the strongest-performing traditional elementary school in the Blackfoot District, which holds a 2-star rating overall. For 2025–2026, Wapello ranks 163rd out of 346 Idaho elementary schools, placing it in the 53rd percentile with a 3-star rating. The school serves a relatively lower-poverty population than many of its district peers, with about 40.3% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch.

Wapello outperforms its district by wide margins on the 2025–2026 ISAT. In math, 48.5% of students are proficient, compared to 36.8% for the district and 43.1% for the state. In English language arts, 49.5% are proficient, above the district’s 42.4% but slightly below the state’s 54.0%. Science results are a major standout: 59.3% of 5th graders are proficient, more than double the district rate of 26.7% and 15 points above the state average. Among same-district elementary schools, Wapello leads in both math and ELA by a noticeable margin. The school also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 8.9%, compared to Riverbend Elementary at 14.8%, Groveland Elementary School at 15.9%, and Donald D Stalker Elementary at 20.4%.

Wapello’s state ranking has climbed from the bottom quarter of Idaho elementary schools in 2017–2018 to its current above-midpoint position, and the school has previously reached elite levels, earning a 5-star rating in 2014–2015. Nearby A W Johnson Elementary School in the Firth District outperforms Wapello in math and ELA despite having a higher poverty rate, showing room for growth. Conversely, Wapello surpasses nearby Blackfoot Charter Community by large margins in both academics and attendance. The school also spends efficiently at about $7,566 per student, achieving strong results on less funding than some weaker-performing district schools such as Groveland.