Melba Elementary School

Melba Elementary School serves 430 students in grades PK through 6 in the small town of Melba, Idaho, about 10 miles from the larger communities of Nampa and Kuna, and operates as part of the Melba Joint District.

Academically, Melba's strongest subject is math, where 54.4% of students are proficient compared to 43.1% statewide. That outpaces several nearby traditional public schools including Reed Elementary School, Reagan Elementary School, Ross Elementary School, and Crimson Point Elementary School, and is competitive with Silver Trail Elementary School (55.5%). Only the two area charters—Legacy Charter School and Falcon Ridge Public Charter—post higher math scores. Students attend school consistently too: only 7.7% are chronically absent, roughly half the state average and far better than neighboring schools like Reed (16.3%) and Reagan (18.4%). Notably, Melba achieves these results spending just $6,750 per student, less than most comparable schools.

The school's ELA scores are slightly below the state average at 51.4% proficiency, with a noticeable dip in 3rd grade (38.3%) that jumps to 66.1% by 4th grade—a pattern worth asking about. Science is the clearest weakness: only 30.3% of 5th graders are proficient versus 44.0% statewide. But the broader trajectory is encouraging. Melba has climbed from the 15th percentile in 2014–2015 to the 51st percentile today, a remarkable decade-long turnaround. Its 6th grade scores are particularly strong, with 60.9% proficiency in math and 57.1% in ELA, suggesting the school prepares students well for the transition to middle school. With low absenteeism and a track record of improvement, Melba Elementary School appears to be a solid, steadily improving choice for families in the area.