Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 83338

Zip code 83338 in Jerome, Idaho, is home to five elementary schools — Horizon Elementary School, Frontier Elementary School, Summit Elementary, Jefferson Elementary School, and Heritage Academy — serving roughly 2,018 students from Pre-K through 8th grade. Four of the five belong to the Jerome Joint District, which ranks 95th of 101 Idaho districts, while Heritage Academy operates independently under Heritage Academy Inc. All five schools rank in the bottom 13% of Idaho elementary schools, and the group averages about 17.6 points below the state math average and 23.9 points below in English Language Arts.

Heritage Academy stands out as the strongest overall school in the area, with the highest ELA proficiency (38.5%), lowest chronic absenteeism (4.6%), lowest poverty rate (43.18% free/reduced lunch), and the smallest class sizes (14.9 students per teacher). It also invests far more per student ($10,619) than the district schools. Among the traditional public schools, Horizon Elementary School leads in math (29.6%) and showed the biggest year-over-year gains, improving 6.4 points in math and 8.6 points in ELA. Jefferson Elementary School has the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.4%) among district schools and performed above district averages in 2024-2025. At the other end, Summit Elementary is the most challenged, ranking last in Idaho in 2024-2025 with the highest poverty (75% FRPL), the highest chronic absenteeism (20.7%), and the lowest 5th-grade math and science scores (15.2% each).

Several patterns are worth noting for parents. Attendance and poverty levels align closely with performance — schools like Heritage and Jefferson, with lower poverty and better attendance, tend to do better academically. Math gaps also widen between 3rd and 5th grade, particularly at higher-poverty schools like Summit. However, performance is not fixed: Horizon was at the 61st percentile statewide a decade ago, and Jefferson has climbed from the bottom 8% to the 12th percentile in recent years. While the area faces systemic academic challenges, the bright spots at Heritage, Horizon, and Jefferson suggest that targeted support around attendance, resources, and instruction can make a meaningful difference for students.