Tigert Middle School

Tigert Middle School serves 268 students in grades 5–8 in Soda Springs, a small community in eastern Idaho, and is part of the Soda Springs Joint District, which ranks at the middle of Idaho districts with a 3-star rating. Tigert itself currently sits in the 63rd percentile statewide for 2025–2026, also earning 3 stars—a strong rebound from a low point in 2015–2016, when it ranked in the 28th percentile.

One of the most distinctive things about Tigert is its attendance culture: only 3.8% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, compared to 13.8% statewide, and this pattern has held for years even as the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch has risen to about 40%. Academically, science is the school's clear strength, with 56.4% proficiency versus 42.7% statewide—including an impressive 62.3% among 8th graders. Eighth-grade math is also a standout at 57.4% proficiency versus the state average of 41.2%, though 7th-grade math (34.2%) and overall math (39.4%) trail the state. English Language Arts has been more inconsistent, swinging between about 45% and 56% proficiency in recent years, so it's a less reliable strength than science.

Compared with North Gem Middle School, about 15 miles away in Bancroft, Tigert is dramatically larger (268 students vs. 26) and operates more efficiently, spending about $7,337 per student versus North Gem's $13,119 and carrying a student-teacher ratio of 15.9 to 1 versus North Gem's 7.7 to 1. Despite those leaner resources, Tigert posted slightly higher ELA proficiency (48.5% vs. 46.7%). The pattern worth watching is the gap between 7th and 8th grade: if 8th graders keep outpacing state averages while 7th graders lag in math and ELA, it may point to a transition challenge or an especially strong 8th-grade program. Overall, this is a mid-ranking, improving school that does more with less, and its low absenteeism suggests a positive, consistent daily environment for kids.