Homedale Middle School

Homedale Middle School is a rural middle school in Homedale, ID, serving 394 students in grades 5–8 — one of the few area middle schools that includes 5th grade. The school earned a 3-star rating and ranked 83rd out of 174 Idaho middle schools, a clear bright spot within the Homedale Joint District, which itself ranks only 80th of 101 districts. About 54.8% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and the student-teacher ratio is 17.5:1.

Academically, Homedale posts strong English language arts scores: 57.5% proficient, above the state average of 54% and well above the district's 50.8%. Math is essentially tied with the state average (43.6% vs. 43.1%). Science lags notably at 33.9% compared to the state's 42.7%. The school outperforms many nearby schools, including Wilder Middle School just 5 miles away, by substantial margins — 26.3 percentage points in math and 32 points in ELA. Homedale also beats Parma Middle School in ELA and matches Marsing Middle School in both ELA and math, while serving a higher-poverty student body.

Attendance is another strength, with chronic absenteeism at 14.8% — far better than Middleton Middle School (67.2%) and Syringa Middle School (36.6%). The school has also shown steady improvement over the past decade, climbing from near the bottom of state rankings to the middle of the pack. Despite high poverty, Homedale achieves better-than-expected results. Science remains the main area to watch, as proficiency dropped from 40.5% to 33.9% recently. If science can catch up, this school is well positioned to climb even higher.