Summary:
Zip code 83274 in Shelley, Idaho, is served by two middle-grade schools in the Shelley Joint District — Donald J Hobbs Middle School (grades 7–8, 391 students) and Hazel Stuart Elementary School (grades 5–6, 373 students) — together serving 764 students. Although Hazel Stuart carries an elementary name, it functions as a middle school in this data set. Both are the only schools in the district serving their grade bands, so district-level results for individual grades essentially mirror each school's own results.
The two schools have nearly identical math proficiency — 35.7% at Hobbs and 35.2% at Hazel Stuart — but differ dramatically in English Language Arts, with Hobbs at 56.6% (above the district's 54.8% and state's 54.0%) and Hazel Stuart at 44.1%. Chronic absenteeism tells a similar story: just 3.0% at Hobbs versus 12.6% at Hazel Stuart, despite similar free/reduced lunch rates (38.4% vs. 42.4%). Hazel Stuart does shine in science, posting 44.6% proficiency in 5th grade science (essentially matching the state's 44.0%) and a 46.3% all-grades science rate in 2024–2025, compared to 29.0% at Hobbs. It also improved in math year over year, while Hobbs slipped slightly. Resources favor Hobbs as well: it spends about $848 more per student ($6,737 vs. $5,889) and has a more favorable student–teacher ratio (17.2:1 vs. 21.0:1).
Donald J Hobbs has improved steadily, rising from the 27th to the 39th statewide percentile over three years and from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. Both schools declined in ELA from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, though Hobbs' 8th grade ELA remains above the state average. In short, these are two schools with very different profiles: Hobbs leads in literacy, attendance, and resources, while Hazel Stuart competes in science and shows momentum in math.
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