Silver Hills Elementary School

Silver Hills Elementary School is a public school in Osburn, Idaho, serving 294 students in grades PK–6 as part of the Wallace District. The school has earned a 4-star rating and ranks 104th out of 346 Idaho elementary schools (70th percentile) for 2025–26, but what makes this especially remarkable is the turnaround: back in 2007–08, Silver Hills ranked 293rd out of 335 schools (13th percentile, 1 star), and it has since climbed steadily into the upper third of the state, earning 4-star ratings two years in a row.

Academically, Silver Hills students perform well above Idaho averages. In 2025–26, 55.8% of students were proficient in math versus 43.1% statewide, and 63.0% were proficient in English Language Arts versus 54.0% statewide. ELA has consistently been the stronger subject, though math proficiency does fade somewhat in upper elementary—5th and 6th grade math proficiency sits near 47%, compared to 66.7% in 3rd grade. Science is a relative weak spot, with 5th grade proficiency at 40.0% versus 44.0% statewide. The contrast with nearby Pinehurst Elementary School is striking: Silver Hills outperforms Pinehurst by roughly 20 percentage points in both math and ELA, and is ranked 104th versus 277th out of 346 schools. Pinehurst is part of the Kellogg Joint District, which holds a 1-star rating compared to Wallace District's 4 stars.

Silver Hills also offers a favorable 14:1 student-teacher ratio and per-pupil spending of $12,410, both better than Pinehurst's 16.1:1 ratio and $10,472 spending. One area to watch is chronic absenteeism, which has shifted from better than the state (15.0% in 2021–22 vs. 21.0% statewide) to slightly worse than the state (15.4% in 2025–26 vs. 13.8% statewide). The share of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch rose from 39.7% to 50.7% over the past year, yet achievement has remained strong. Overall, Silver Hills is a solidly above-average school with an impressive improvement story and better resources than its closest large neighbor—though upper-elementary math, science, and attendance are worth keeping an eye on.