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Prairie Elementary School

Q: Is Prairie Elementary School a good school?

Prairie Elementary School ranks 38 th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Prairie Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 222 students attended Prairie Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Prairie Elementary School?

Students at Prairie Elementary School are 96% White, 3% Hispanic.

Q: What schools do graduates of Prairie Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Prairie Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Prairie Junior/Senior High School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

38^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 350 Idaho Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Idaho elementary schools

Summary

Prairie Elementary School serves 222 students in grades PK-6 in Cottonwood, Idaho, a small town in north-central Idaho, and it stands out as one of the highest-performing elementary schools in the state. The school is part of the Cottonwood Joint District, which ranks 7th out of 101 Idaho districts with a 5-star rating. Prairie itself earned a 4-star rating and ranked 38th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools in 2025–2026, following a 5-star year in which it ranked 13th out of 337.

Academically, Prairie delivers exceptional results. In 2025–2026, 72.1% of students were proficient in math and 70.5% in English Language Arts, far above state averages of 43.1% and 54%. The comparison to nearby schools is striking: Clearwater Valley Elementary posted 38.0% math proficiency, Kamiah Elementary School had 40.0%, and Grangeville Elementary/Middle School reached just 36.1%. Prairie's math proficiency is roughly double that of its closest peers, and its ELA scores lead by 18–30 percentage points.

Attendance and efficiency are also big advantages. Only 2.3% of Prairie students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, compared to 13.8% statewide, 14.9% at Grangeville, and 12.0% at Kamiah. This strong attendance culture likely supports learning. Prairie also spends the least per student ($9,603) among nearby schools — Kamiah spends $13,176 and Clearwater Valley $10,390 — yet achieves far stronger outcomes. While scores dipped slightly from the prior year, Prairie remains a standout rural elementary school with efficient spending and a track record of excellence.

222

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,603

Per pupil spending ?

32.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1916 East Street
Cottonwood, ID 83522-0570

(208) 962-3521

District: Cottonwood Joint District

Students who attend Prairie Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Prairie Junior/Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.9%

Hispanic:

2.7%

Two or more races:

0.9%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2008 → 89th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Idaho average (68% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Idaho elementary schools

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school68%

District avg66%

Idaho avg47%

38^th of 350

Idaho public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▼ down 1 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of Idaho Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 104Cottonwood 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
2026	87.2	38 of 350	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	93.9	13 of 337	96.1%	★★★★★
2018	80.5	38 of 254	85.0%	★★★★☆
2017	86.8	28 of 292	90.4%	★★★★★
2013	70.1	85 of 357	76.2%	★★★★☆
2012	81.7	33 of 354	90.7%	★★★★★
2011	84.0	15 of 359	95.8%	★★★★★
2010	72.7	66 of 356	81.5%	★★★★☆
2009	87.9	5 of 349	98.6%	★★★★★
2008	81.1	30 of 335	91.0%	★★★★★

By subject vs Idaho (2025-2026) ?

Math72%+29 vs state

English Language Arts70%+16 vs state

Science60%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Prairie Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISAT Math (2026)							ISAT Science (2026)			ISAT English Language Arts (2026)							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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science 8th 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
Prairie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1916 East Street	Cottonwood	83522	Idaho County	Cottonwood Joint District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 962-3521	222	17	12.9	32.9%	213 (95.9%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	87.2	38^th of 350 public elementary schools	89.1%		93.9	13^th of 337 public elementary schools	96.1%	25	66.7	80.6	68.6	71.8			72.1	60.0			56.7	77.1	77.1	69.2			70.5	$9,603	$1,161	$8,441
Grangeville Elementary/Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	400 Idaho Street	Grangeville	83530	Idaho County	Mountain View School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 983-0400	505	29	17.6	47.5%	450 (89.1%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.1%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.8%)	37.1	225^th of 350 public elementary schools	35.7%		27	258^th of 337 public elementary schools	23.4%	33	45.3	29.6	33.3	37.5	32.7	38.1	36.1	50.0	33.3	41.7	59.6	40.7	64.3	35.4	58.5	59.5	52.6	$9,493	$990	$8,503
Clearwater Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	306 East Pine Street	Kooskia	83539	Idaho County	Mountain View School District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 926-4311	117	8	15.3	68.4%	104 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.3%)								(n/a)	< 35%		< 48%				38.0	≥ 42%		≥ 42%	< 35%		≥ 47%				50.7	$10,390	$1,360	$9,030
Kamiah Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	809 9th Street	Kamiah	83536	Lewis County	Kamiah Joint District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 935-4012	121	10	11.8	32.2%	80 (66.1%)	1 (0.8%)	12 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (12.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (10.7%)								(n/a)	40.0										40.0							$13,176	$2,260	$10,916

Frequently Asked Questions about Prairie Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Prairie Elementary School?

Students at Prairie Elementary School are 96% White, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Prairie Elementary School attend?

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

High : Prairie Junior/Senior High School

What district is Prairie Elementary School in?

Cottonwood Joint District

Is Prairie Elementary School a good school?

Prairie Elementary School ranks 38^th of 350 Idaho elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Prairie Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 222 students attended Prairie Elementary School.

Rate Prairie Elementary School!

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IDIdaho Elementary School Rankings

IDIdaho District Rankings

Schools in Cottonwood, ID

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Latest Idaho data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataAug 19, 2026

2025–26 ISAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesJan 19, 2026

2024–25 ISAT test scoresAug 26, 2025

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.