Gooding Middle School

Gooding Middle School serves 289 students in grades 6–8 in Gooding, Idaho, and is part of the Gooding Joint District. For 2025–2026, Gooding ranked 97th of 174 Idaho middle schools (44th percentile, 2 stars). While mid-tier statewide, it is the strongest middle school in the immediate area. Nearby Jerome Middle School ranks 155th (11th percentile), Wendell Middle School ranks 166th (5th percentile), and Shoshone Middle School most recently ranked 142nd (14th percentile).

Academically, Gooding stands out most in English Language Arts. Its 54.2% ELA proficiency is right at the state average of 54.0% and far ahead of Jerome (36.3%), Shoshone (39.6%), and Wendell (32.4%). In math, Gooding posts 37.1% proficiency versus the state's 43.1%, but still leads its neighbors: Shoshone (36.3%), Jerome (25.1%), and Wendell (20.3%). Science is also close to par, with 41.7% of 8th graders proficient compared to 42.9% statewide and well above Jerome's 36.0% and Wendell's 15.1%. The clearest weakness is targeted: 7th-grade math is 29.7% versus 43.6% statewide, while 7th-grade ELA is a strength at 60.4%.

Gooding also shows strong non-academic indicators. Chronic absenteeism has fallen from 28.0% in 2021–2022 to 12.5%, below the state rate of 13.8%. The school spends $8,827 per student—the most among nearby schools—and has a student–teacher ratio of 15.9, lower than Jerome's 17.7 and Wendell's 18.2. Its free/reduced lunch rate of 54.0% is also lower than all three nearby schools. Gooding has climbed from the bottom 6% of Idaho middle schools in 2017–2018 to the 44th percentile today, and closing the 7th-grade math gap is the clearest opportunity for continued improvement.