Summary:
Zip code 83316 is home to one public middle school, Buhl Middle School, serving grades 6–8 with 298 students in Buhl, Idaho, as part of the Buhl Joint District. Because this is the only middle school in the area, there are no nearby peer schools for direct comparison, so parents should evaluate it against Idaho state averages and the school's own history. More than half of the student body (54.7%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch, and the student–teacher ratio is 18.1.
Academically, Buhl Middle School shows a clear strength in English Language Arts, especially by 8th grade. ELA proficiency climbs from 35.7% in 6th grade to 40.9% in 7th grade and 53.7% in 8th grade, nearly matching the state average of 54.5%. The school also outperforms its district in ELA (43.8% vs. 39.3% in 2025-26) and ties in science (40.6%), though math remains a persistent weakness with just 29.4% proficiency compared to the 43.1% state average.
However, there are concerns. Math proficiency lags state averages at every grade level, and both math and ELA scores dropped significantly between 2024-25 and 2025-26 — math fell from 38.9% to 29.4%, and ELA from 50.0% to 43.8%. Chronic absenteeism is also elevated, with 18.2% of students chronically absent versus 13.8% statewide. The school's state ranking has been volatile, slipping from the 36th percentile (2 stars) in 2024-25 to the 15th percentile (1 star) in 2025-26. While Buhl Middle School is a relative bright spot within the low-ranked Buhl Joint District (91st of 101 districts), it still trails Idaho averages in most subjects and may benefit from targeted academic and attendance supports.
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