Firth High School

Firth High School is a small public high school serving 305 students in grades 9–12 in Firth, Idaho, a rural community in southeastern Idaho about 5 miles from Shelley, 11–12 miles from Blackfoot, and 13–15 miles from the Idaho Falls area. The school has become a strong academic performer, earning 3 stars in the latest state ranking (44th of 122 Idaho high schools), while its district, Firth District, ranks 23rd of 101 districts with a 4-star rating. Firth's standout subjects are math and English language arts: 45.2% of students were proficient in math and 69.9% in ELA on recent End-of-Course ISAT exams, both well above state averages and higher than nearby Shelley Senior High School and Idaho Falls Senior High School. Science proficiency is a relative weak point at 37.1%, below the state average of 41.2%.

Student engagement at Firth is exceptional. The chronic absenteeism rate is just 3.3% — roughly one-quarter of the state average of 13.8% and dramatically better than Idaho Falls Senior High School (14.0%) or Skyline Senior High School (17.3%). Graduation rates have been consistently strong, ranging from 91.5% to 98.5% in recent years, well above state averages. With a free/reduced-price lunch rate of 27.5% — the lowest among nearby high schools — and a student-teacher ratio of about 18.5:1, Firth offers a stable and supportive environment.

Firth also delivers strong results efficiently. It spends about $8,587 per student, less than alternative programs like Emerson High School, Independence Alternative High School, and Bingham Academy, while achieving far better outcomes in attendance and academics. The school's trajectory is impressive: rated just 1 star in the mid-2010s, it reached 4-star status in 2020–21 and 2022–23, ranking as high as 20th in the state. Because the enrollment is small, year-to-year swings in scores and rankings are expected, but Firth High School has clearly established itself as a dependable, high-performing option in southeastern Idaho.