Payette Lakes Middle School

Payette Lakes Middle School serves grades 6–8 in McCall, Idaho, enrolling approximately 331 students within the McCall-Donnelly Joint School District. There are no other schools within 20 miles of this mountain-town school, so the most useful comparisons are against the district and Idaho state averages — and on that front, Payette Lakes stands out as a strong performer.

Academically, this school delivers results well above state norms. English language arts is a clear signature strength, with 74.3% of students proficient compared to 54% statewide, and reading proficiency rises steadily from 69.9% in 6th grade to 79.8% by 8th grade. Math proficiency (57.6%) and 8th-grade science (61.9%) also far exceed state averages (43.1% and 42.9%, respectively). The one academic wrinkle is an 8th-grade math slide — proficiency drops from 64.7% in 7th grade to 47.6% in 8th grade, a steeper decline than Idaho typically sees. The school also earns high marks for supporting all students: Hispanic students rank in the 86th percentile statewide, and historically the school has ranked in the 94th percentile for low-income student achievement.

The biggest concern is chronic absenteeism. At 25.6%, it is nearly double the state rate of 13.8%, meaning more than one in four students misses enough school to be considered at academic risk. That number has remained stubbornly high across recent years and is higher than the district's 21.3% rate. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch also jumped from 16.2% to 25.1% in a single year, a trend worth watching. Still, the school has a moderate student-teacher ratio of about 14:1, a highly rated district behind it, and a track record of 4- and 5-star rankings. If attendance improves, Payette Lakes could easily reclaim its spot among Idaho's very top middle schools.