Cascade Elementary School

Cascade Elementary School is a small rural school in Cascade, Idaho, serving 103 students in grades PK–5 as part of the Cascade District, which earns a 4-star rating and ranks 28th among Idaho districts. The school holds a 3-star rating for 2025–2026, placing it 118th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools — a substantial climb from its 1-star ranking in 2012–2013. With a student-teacher ratio that improved from roughly 20:1 to 14:1 in three years, the school now offers smaller classes while serving a population with rising economic need: 43.69% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, up from 32.77% two years earlier.

Cascade's academic turnaround is the most encouraging story among nearby schools. Math proficiency climbed from 40.8% in 2023–2024 to 53.2% in 2025–2026, now well above the state average of 43.1%, while ELA proficiency jumped from 30.6% to 54.3%, matching the state average of 54.0%. Notably, this progress came during a period of rising poverty. Cascade also leads its neighbors in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 16.5% versus 27.4% at Donnelly Elementary and 31.1% at Mountain Community School, though it remains slightly above the state average of 13.8%. Donnelly Elementary is still the academic leader in the area, with 64.4% math and 75.6% ELA proficiency, while Mountain Community School has also improved sharply, seeing math proficiency more than double from 26.1% to 51.7% in one year.

One point to watch is 3rd grade ELA, where Cascade's proficiency rate of 42.9% trails the state average of 48.5%, even as its 4th and 5th grade ELA scores exceed state averages. With just 103 students, small grade-level cohorts mean a few students can shift percentages significantly, so year-over-year changes deserve cautious interpretation. Cascade also spends more per student ($12,062) than Donnelly Elementary ($10,935), yet still trails Donnelly academically. Even so, the combination of rising test scores, better staffing ratios, relatively strong attendance, and district-level support suggests Cascade is on a solid upward path and well-positioned to keep closing the gap in the years ahead.