Summary:
Zip code 83213 in Arco, Idaho is served by two schools within the Butte County Joint District: Arco Elementary School (grades PK–6) and Butte County Middle/High School (grades 7–12), each enrolling exactly 186 students. There is no standalone middle school; instead, grades 7–12 are combined in one secondary school. The district ranks 35th out of 101 Idaho districts (65th percentile) and earns a solid 3-star rating.
The clear standout is Butte County Middle/High School, which excels in English language arts with 71.7% proficiency versus the state's 54.0% — including an exceptional 80% in 7th grade ELA. It also shines in 7th grade math (72% vs. state 43.6%) and 8th grade science (53.1% vs. state 42.9%). The school improved dramatically year-over-year in both math (+8.6 points) and ELA (+6.2 points). Meanwhile, Arco Elementary School has strengths in the early grades — 3rd grade math at 54.2% and 6th grade math at 48% both exceed state averages — but struggles sharply in 5th grade, with math proficiency of just 26.5% versus the state's 42.2% and science at 35.3% versus 44.0%.
Notable challenges include elevated chronic absenteeism: the secondary school reports 18.8% versus the state's 13.8%, and the elementary school's older data (15.9%) also ran above state levels. Economically disadvantaged rates are higher at the elementary school (50% free/reduced lunch) than the secondary school (36%). Science is a concern at both schools, particularly end-of-course science at the high school level (28.6% vs. state 41.2%). However, Butte County Middle/High School has positive momentum and matches the state graduation rate of 82.5%, making it a strong choice for secondary students while upper elementary math and science at Arco Elementary School deserve attention.
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