Purple Sage Elementary

Purple Sage Elementary is a PK-5 school in Caldwell, Idaho, serving 453 students as part of the Middleton District. The school ranks 203rd out of 346 Idaho elementary schools (41st percentile, 2 stars), placing it solidly in the middle of the pack statewide but making it the lowest-performing elementary school in its district. Math proficiency is near the state average (46.5% vs. 43.1%), while English Language Arts trails noticeably (47.6% vs. 54.0%).

Within its own district, the gaps are substantial. Middleton Mill Creek Elementary ranks in the 80th percentile with 62.4% math and 65.6% ELA proficiency, while Middleton Heights Elementary sits in the 63rd percentile with 52.3% math and 55.9% ELA. Purple Sage trails both district peers by 6 to 18 points in both subjects, despite having a lower student-teacher ratio (16.4 vs. 17.2 and 18.7) and higher per-pupil spending ($7,504 vs. $6,395 and $6,678). This suggests that targeted instructional strategies may matter more than additional resources.

ELA is the school's biggest academic weakness: 3rd grade proficiency is 43.8% vs. the state's 48.5%, and by 5th grade Purple Sage trails its district by 13.7 points. Math tells a different story, with proficiency falling from 53.3% in 3rd grade to just 39.0% in 5th grade — a steeper decline than the district or state. Chronic absenteeism is also elevated at 22.2%, well above the state rate of 13.8% and higher than both district peers. The school does have strengths: Hispanic students perform at the 59th percentile statewide, and Purple Sage outperforms most nearby Caldwell schools, including Wilson Elementary School and Washington Elementary School, by double digits. Notably, Mosaics Public School, a nearby charter serving a higher-poverty population, edges out Purple Sage in both subjects while posting a much lower absenteeism rate. The free/reduced lunch rate has risen to 32.01%, reflecting a growing share of students experiencing economic disadvantage.