McGhee Elementary School

McGhee Elementary School is a K–5 school in Lewiston, Idaho, serving 259 students as part of the Lewiston Independent District, a strong 4-star district ranked 20th out of 101 in Idaho. McGhee serves a higher-poverty population than most of its district peers, with 55.2% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch — the highest rate among Lewiston elementary schools and about 3.6 times the rate at Camelot Elementary School, just a few miles away.

Academically, McGhee holds its own against state averages while trailing its immediate district neighbors. In 2025–26, 48.2% of students were proficient in math and 55.0% in English language arts, compared to state averages of 43.1% and 54.0%. The school's 5th grade reading stands out as a genuine bright spot, with 67.5% proficiency — well above the district (60.1%) and state (55.2%). The most pressing challenges are 4th grade math (40.5% vs. district 47.3%) and 3rd grade reading (50.0% vs. district 62.4%). Science has also rebounded sharply from 21.7% proficiency in 2022–23 to 42.2% in 2024–25, matching the state average exactly.

Chronic absenteeism, a key factor in learning, has improved dramatically from a peak of 28.0% in 2021–22 to 15.2% in 2025–26, though it remains slightly above the state rate of 13.8%. McGhee's state ranking was 180th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools (48th percentile), up from the prior year but down from 2023–24's 66th percentile — swings that likely reflect its small student body and varying grade-level cohorts. Compared to non-district neighbors, McGhee outperforms both Lapwai Elementary School (28.2% math, 30.6% chronic absenteeism) and Pinecrest Academy Of Lewiston (15.9% math, 34.0% chronic absenteeism). With per-student funding of $10,234 and a student-teacher ratio of 13.9, McGhee has resources comparable to or better than district peers, suggesting that targeted support for its higher-need students is the key to closing the gap.