Mackay Elementary School

Mackay Elementary School is a small, rural school in Mackay, ID, serving 114 students in grades PK–6. The school has made big strides in getting kids to class: chronic absenteeism has dropped from nearly 24% in 2022–2023 to just 7.8% in 2025–2026—dramatically better than the Mackay Joint District (15.0%) and the state (13.8%). That improvement likely helped boost academics, since English language arts (ELA) proficiency has climbed steadily from 40.9% a few years ago to 48.4% in the most recent school year, nearly matching the state average of 54.0%.

Math remains the main weak spot. Only 25.0% of students are proficient, compared to 43.1% statewide—a sizable gap. However, there are bright spots: 5th graders scored 50% proficient in math, beating the state’s 42.2%, and 3rd and 6th graders outperformed statewide averages in ELA. The school’s overall math score also tops its own district average (22.7%). Roughly 41% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and despite that, the school is nearly at state levels in reading—a meaningful accomplishment.

Because the school is so small, results can swing from year to year. After a tough 2024–2025 season when the school dropped to a 1-star rating, it bounced back to a 3-star rating in 2025–2026, moving from the 26th to the 49th percentile in Idaho’s elementary school rankings. That volatility is normal for a school with only 114 students, where one strong or weak grade cohort can make a big difference. The clearest takeaway: attendance is way up, reading is close to state average, and math—while still low—is starting to trend in the right direction.