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Popplewell Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

295^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 337 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Popplewell Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Buhl, Idaho, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 544 students. The school is part of the Buhl Joint District, which is ranked 77 out of 96 districts in Idaho and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Popplewell Elementary School faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly lower test scores compared to state and district averages, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a higher proportion of students from low-income families. The school's student-teacher ratio is also relatively high, ranging from 18.5 to 19.4 over the past few years, which may impact the level of individual attention and support students receive. When compared to nearby schools, such as Rock Creek Elementary, Popplewell Elementary School generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism rates.

Despite the school's consistently low performance, there is little evidence of significant improvement over the years. Popplewell Elementary School's statewide ranking has steadily declined, from 216 out of 354 Idaho elementary schools in 2011-2012 to 295 out of 337 in 2024-2025, suggesting the school is not keeping pace with improvements in other schools across the state. The high percentage of students from low-income families may contribute to the school's challenges, but more effective interventions and strategies are needed to support student learning and achievement at Popplewell Elementary School.

542

Students ?

17.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,001

Per pupil spending ?

59.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 North 6th Avenue
Buhl, ID 83316-1248

(208) 543-8225

District: Buhl Joint District

Students who attend Popplewell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Buhl Middle School
High:	Buhl High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.9%

Hispanic:

35.8%

Asian:

0.6%

See top rated Idaho elementary schools

Compare Popplewell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2010 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2010

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Idaho average (36% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (23% vs 15% Idaho)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg40%

Idaho avg47%

295^th of 337

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 3% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

77^th of 96Buhl Joint District among Idaho districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Idaho percentile	Rating
2025	16.8	295 of 337	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.7	210 of 301	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	15.6	225 of 254	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	13.3	265 of 292	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	8.2	232 of 240	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.8	220 of 226	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	34.1	280 of 357	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	46.5	216 of 354	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	34.3	277 of 359	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.5	335 of 356	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	14.7	331 of 349	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	16.1	311 of 335	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Idaho (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-18 vs state

Math36%-7 vs state

Science35%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Popplewell Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISAT Math (2025)						ISAT Science (2025)		ISAT English Language Arts (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Popplewell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 North 6th Avenue	Buhl	83316	Twin Falls County	Buhl Joint District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 543-8225	542	31	17.4	59.4%	341 (62.9%)	0 (0.0%)	194 (35.8%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16.8	295^th of 337 public elementary schools	12.5%		29.7	210^th of 301 public elementary schools	30.2%	85	41.9	37.2	28.2			35.8	34.6	34.6	31.1	33.3	43.6				35.9	$8,001	$1,587	$6,414
Filer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	700 Stevens Avenue	Filer	83328	Twin Falls County	Filer District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 326-4369	397	25	16.1	47.1%	326 (82.1%)	2 (0.5%)	60 (15.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)								(n/a)						37.6									28.7	$7,489	$996	$6,493
Wendell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	232 N Boise Street	Wendell	83355	Gooding County	Wendell District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 536-6611	429	23	18.6	80.2%	170 (39.6%)	2 (0.5%)	248 (57.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	10.5	314^th of 337 public elementary schools	6.8%					(n/a)	28.2	25.6				26.8			34.8	35.3					35.1	$7,632	$1,758	$5,873
Rock Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	850 Federation Road	Twin Falls	83301	Twin Falls County	Twin Falls District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 732-7565	601	33	18.2	31.8%	424 (70.5%)	20 (3.3%)	114 (19.0%)	14 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.8%)	73.2	77^th of 337 public elementary schools	77.2%		62.2	107^th of 301 public elementary schools	64.5%	30	66.3	65.3	54.6			61.9	53.2	53.2	54.8	65.3	67.0				62.4	$5,958	$496	$5,461
I B Perrine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	452 Caswell Avenue West	Twin Falls	83301	Twin Falls County	Twin Falls District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 733-4288	359	27	13.2	66.3%	229 (63.8%)	24 (6.7%)	74 (20.6%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.1%)	15 (4.2%)	4	335^th of 337 public elementary schools	0.6%		6.7	289^th of 301 public elementary schools	4.0%	46	18.5	26.8	16.7			20.6	27.8	27.8	13.8	27.3	24.1				21.3	$6,790	$1,205	$5,585
Gem Prep: Twin Falls	Public, Charter	K-8	151 Federation Road	Twin Falls	83301	Twin Falls County	Gem Prep: Twin Falls LLC	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(208) 735-5646	316	14	22.5		242 (76.6%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (17.4%)	7 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	51.5	152^nd of 337 public elementary schools	54.9%					(n/a)	79.2	53.8		43.1	62.5	53.9		42.4	66.7	53.8	38.1	50.0	75.0	58.3	55.8
Heritage Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	500 South Lincoln Avenue	Jerome	83338	Jerome County	Heritage Academy Inc.	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 595-1617	176	12	14.9	43.2%	71 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (48.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.3%)	15 (8.5%)	22.2	274^th of 337 public elementary schools	18.7%		10.4	278^th of 301 public elementary schools	7.6%	4	35.0	45.5		27.3		24.5		15.0	40.0	45.5	50.0	31.8	46.2	45.0	42.9	$10,619	$2,541	$8,078
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	238 Buhl Street North	Twin Falls	83301	Twin Falls County	Twin Falls District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 733-1321	327	26	12.8	64.5%	138 (42.2%)	28 (8.6%)	140 (42.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	15 (4.6%)	15.8	301^st of 337 public elementary schools	10.7%		3.1	301^st of 301 public elementary schools	0.0%		42.9					26.7		27.8	41.5	20.8	27.8				29.2	$7,733	$1,549	$6,184
Harrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Harrison Street	Twin Falls	83301	Twin Falls County	Twin Falls District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 733-4229	383	24	15.9	66.8%	195 (50.9%)	28 (7.3%)	133 (34.7%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.8%)	14 (3.7%)	4	334^th of 337 public elementary schools	0.9%		4.2	297^th of 301 public elementary schools	1.3%	37	18.2	15.7	28.3			20.6	21.3	21.3	18.2	21.6	30.4				23.4	$9,238	$1,897	$7,341
Summit Elementary	Public	K-5	200 10th Avenue West	Jerome	83338	Jerome County	Jerome Joint District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 324-3396	460	24	19.1	75.0%	140 (30.4%)	2 (0.4%)	311 (67.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2.1	337^th of 337 public elementary schools	0.0%		7.4	286^th of 301 public elementary schools	5.0%	51	15.4						20.0	20.0	10.4		29.1					$6,399	$1,112	$5,287

Frequently Asked Questions about Popplewell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Popplewell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Popplewell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Buhl Middle School
High : Buhl High School

What is the racial makeup of Popplewell Elementary School?

Students at Popplewell Elementary School are 63% White, 36% Hispanic.

Is Popplewell Elementary School a good school?

Popplewell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 12.5% of Idaho elementary schools.

What district is Popplewell Elementary School in?

Buhl Joint District

How many students attend Popplewell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 542 students attended Popplewell Elementary School.

Rate Popplewell Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Idaho Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.