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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 83355

At a glance

Schools

1,104

Students

Top rankedWendell Elementary School331^st of 350 Idaho elementary schools

Summary:

ZIP code 83355 in Wendell, Idaho, is served by three public schools—Wendell Elementary School (grades PK–4), Wendell Middle School (grades 5–8), and Wendell High School (grades 9–12)—all part of the Wendell District, which currently ranks 97th out of 101 Idaho districts. This small, high-poverty district faces significant academic challenges, with every school ranking in the bottom 5% of Idaho schools for the 2025–2026 school year. For parents, the picture is mixed: while no school is performing well overall compared to state averages, there are notable differences in how each school serves its students.

Wendell Elementary School stands out as the district’s strongest early-grade performer despite having the highest poverty rate, with 80.19% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Its 24% math proficiency and 36.3% ELA proficiency are the best among the three schools, though still well below state averages. Wendell Middle School shows the most concerning academic profile, with 5th-grade math proficiency at just 9.5% and science proficiency at 11.6%. Wendell High School offers a bright spot in attendance and graduation: only 5.9% of students are chronically absent, and the graduation rate matches the state average at 82.5%. However, its test scores are the lowest in the district, especially math at 14.8% proficiency.

One of the most striking findings is the high school’s ranking collapse—it earned 4 stars and ranked in the 74th percentile in 2023–2024, but fell to the 5th percentile by 2025–2026. Additionally, higher spending per student does not translate into higher scores: Wendell High School spends $9,310 per student yet has the lowest math proficiency, while the middle school spends the least at $7,016. Parents should also note the unusual grade configuration, with 5th graders entering middle school, which may contribute to the sharp drop in early middle school performance. Overall, these schools face systemic challenges tied to poverty and district-wide underperformance, but the high school’s strong attendance and graduation rates suggest some positive foundations to build on.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISAT Math (2026)								ISAT Science (2026)				ISAT English Language Arts (2026)								Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 3rd Grade	ISAT Math 4th Grade	ISAT Math 5th Grade	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math End of Course	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science 5th Grade	ISAT Science 8th Grade	ISAT Science End of Course	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts End of Course	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wendell High School	Public	9-12	850 East Main Street	Wendell	83355	Gooding County	Wendell District	No	No	(n/a)	No	(208) 536-2100	325	20	16.3	61.2%	108 (33.2%)	0 (0.0%)	213 (65.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	9.6	118^th of 124 public high schools	4.8%		8.8	110^th of 112 public high schools	1.8%	8							14.8				15.9								38.6		$9,310	$1,038	$8,271
Wendell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	232 N Boise Street	Wendell	83355	Gooding County	Wendell District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 536-6611	429	23	18.6	80.2%	170 (39.6%)	2 (0.5%)	248 (57.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	10.7	331^st of 350 public elementary schools	5.4%		10.5	314^th of 337 public elementary schools	6.8%	17	25.5	22.1						24.0					37.2	35.1						36.3	$7,632	$1,758	$5,873
Wendell Middle School	Public	5-8	920 East Main Street	Wendell	83355	Gooding County	Wendell District	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(208) 536-5531	350	19	18.2	72.3%	141 (40.3%)	0 (0.0%)	202 (57.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	8.3	169^th of 177 public middle schools	4.5%		9.4	159^th of 166 public middle schools	4.2%	10			9.5	15.1	30.9	25.6		20.3	11.6	15.1		13.3			29.8	33.3	37.9	28.2		32.4	$7,016	$1,228	$5,787

Cities Near Zip Code 83355

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wendell	1.19 mi	3	103^rd
Jerome	9.13 mi	9	100^th
Hagerman	10.78 mi	2
Buhl	10.99 mi	4	98^th
Gooding	11.69 mi	6	59^th

See the top ID Idaho cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Idaho Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.