Dora Erickson Elementary School

Dora Erickson Elementary School in Idaho Falls, ID, serves 436 students in grades PK–6 as part of the Idaho Falls District, in a high-poverty area where 82% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025. The school has historically ranked in the bottom tier of Idaho elementary schools, though its latest 2025–2026 ranking of 282nd out of 346 schools (18th percentile) is an improvement from prior years, when it sat in the 3rd–8th percentile band. Notably, Dora Erickson spends $8,165 per student — more than most nearby schools, including higher-performing ones like Longfellow Elementary ($5,960), Edgemont Gardens Elementary ($6,368), and Alturas International Academy ($6,935) — which suggests the school's challenges go beyond simple resource constraints.

Academically, Dora Erickson trails both its district and state by wide margins. On 2025–2026 state assessments, 30.2% of students were proficient in math, compared to 40.6% for the Idaho Falls District and 43.1% statewide; in English language arts, 40.9% were proficient, versus 51.5% for the district and 54.0% for the state. Chronic absenteeism is likely a major contributing factor: 23.4% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, well above the district rate of 18.9% and state rate of 13.8%, and this pattern has persisted for five years. By comparison, nearby schools with much lower absenteeism — Longfellow at 14.5% and Edgemont Gardens at 14.3% — post significantly better test scores.

Despite these struggles, there are encouraging signs. Dora Erickson's 6th grade students actually outperformed both district and state averages in 2025–2026, with 52% proficient in math and 58% in ELA. This upward grade-level pattern is unusual among comparable schools and suggests that something in the upper grades is working well. The school also compares favorably to A H Bush Elementary, which serves a similarly high-poverty population: Dora Erickson posted higher ELA proficiency (40.9% vs. 33.3%) and slightly higher math proficiency. While the school remains in the bottom quintile statewide, its most recent improvement — ELA proficiency jumped from 33.8% to 40.9% — offers a point of hope. The clearest opportunities for growth lie in improving attendance and replicating the success seen in 6th grade down into the earlier grades.