Summary
Carey Public School is a small PK–12 alternative school in Carey, Idaho, serving 272 students across all grade levels as part of the Blaine County District. Despite its “alternative” designation, which often implies a focus on students who haven’t thrived in traditional settings, the school outperformed both its district and the state of Idaho on the most recent ISAT tests. In English language arts, 60.7% of students were proficient, compared to 48.7% for the district and 54.0% statewide. Math proficiency reached 46.7% (district: 39.0%; state: 43.1%), and science reached 47.4% (district: 42.4%; state: 42.7%).
One of the school’s most encouraging trends is the dramatic drop in chronic absenteeism, which fell from 28.0% in 2021–2022 to just 9.7% in 2025–2026—well below the district rate of 14.4% and the state rate of 13.8%. Carey Public School also maintains a very low student-to-teacher ratio of around 10.5 to 11.3, allowing for more individualized attention. The student population has seen rising economic need, with free or reduced-price lunch eligibility jumping from 26.8% in 2022–2023 to 37.1% in 2024–2025. This makes the school’s strong academic performance and attendance gains even more notable. Science proficiency, once a weak spot at 33.9%, has improved steadily to 47.4%, now surpassing both district and state averages.
Carey Public School’s graduation rate was historically excellent—hovering around 95% for several years—but dropped to 82.5% in 2024–2025, exactly in line with district and state averages. Because the school is so small, year-to-year percentages can swing significantly with just a few students. Per-student spending is high at $19,926 (2018–2019), reflecting the school’s small size, PK–12 programming, and additional support needs. Overall, Carey Public School stands out as a small, resource-intensive school that has recently improved its attendance and science results while maintaining strong literacy and math outcomes. The recent graduation dip and rising economic need are worth watching, but the school’s overall profile is one of a high-performing alternative school in Idaho.
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