Horseshoe Bend Elementary

Horseshoe Bend Elementary is a very small PK-5 school in Horseshoe Bend, ID, serving just 84 students in the Horseshoe Bend School District, located roughly 10–16 miles from a cluster of much larger elementary schools in Eagle, Boise, and Emmett. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranked 218th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools, placing it at the 37th percentile with 2 stars.

Horseshoe Bend Elementary stands out among nearby schools for its exceptionally small enrollment and its high per-pupil spending of $12,803 — dramatically higher than nearby schools like Eagle Hills Elementary School ($6,183) and Seven Oaks Elementary ($7,757). The school also maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 13.2, lower than most comparable schools. However, Horseshoe Bend serves a student body with relatively high economic disadvantage, with 58.3% of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch — a rate far higher than affluent nearby schools like Hidden Springs Elementary School (4.9%) and Seven Oaks Elementary (14.8%). Despite this, the school performs close to or above state averages in math, with 45% proficiency compared to the state average of 43.1%, while also outperforming its own district (30.2%) by a wide margin.

One of the most encouraging trends is the dramatic improvement in chronic absenteeism, which dropped from 38.0% in 2021-22 to just 13.9% in 2025-26 — now essentially at the state average. The school also posted a huge one-year gain in English Language Arts proficiency, jumping from 30.8% to 47.5% between 2024-25 and 2025-26. While ELA still trails the state average of 54.0%, and the school's small size means results can swing significantly from year to year, the combination of improved attendance and recent academic gains suggests Horseshoe Bend Elementary may be entering a more stable, positive period.