Glenns Ferry Elementary School

Glenns Ferry Elementary School is a small rural school in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, serving 139 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the Glenns Ferry Joint District. There are no other schools within 20 miles, making this the primary elementary option for families in the area. The school maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 12.2, which can support meaningful relationships between students and teachers.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges. In 2025-2026, just 32.9% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 54.0% statewide — a gap of more than 21 percentage points. Math proficiency was also below state averages, with 5th grade math at 28.6% versus 42.2% statewide. Third-grade reading is a particular concern, with only 26.3% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA compared to 48.5% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is elevated as well, with 19.5% of students chronically absent in 2025-2026, up from 14.1% the year before. More than two-thirds of students now qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-poverty population that adds to the difficulty of raising test scores.

There are some encouraging signs. Fourth-grade math proficiency reached 40.9%, only about 7 points below the state average, and the low student-teacher ratio is a structural strength. However, the school has ranked in the bottom 15% of Idaho elementary schools for over a decade, suggesting these are long-standing challenges rather than a temporary dip. The combination of early literacy struggles, rising poverty, and inconsistent attendance points to a need for targeted interventions in reading, math, and attendance to help students succeed.