Summary:
Zip code 83355 is home to exactly one middle school—Wendell Middle School, part of the Wendell District—serving grades 5 through 8 with about 350 students. This is a high-poverty school where academic performance sits well below state averages, making it a particularly challenging environment for families to understand.
Wendell Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of Idaho schools and has earned zero stars from its district ranking. For 2025–2026, only 20.3% of students are proficient in math, 13.3% in science, and 32.4% in English language arts—compared to state averages of 43.1%, 42.7%, and 54.0%, respectively. The school's science proficiency dropped sharply from 28.5% to 13.3% in one year, an alarming change. Grade-level data shows 5th grade math is especially low at 9.5% proficiency, while 7th grade is the relative bright spot with 37.9% ELA and 30.9% math proficiency. Chronic absenteeism stands at 14.4%, above the district's 11.7% and the state's 13.8%.
About 72.3% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, so poverty is likely a major factor behind the low scores and attendance challenges. The student–teacher ratio is 18.2, and per-student spending was $7,016 as of 2018–2019, a modest figure that may limit intervention resources. Despite these hurdles, the school did see a small improvement in math proficiency over the past year, and the stronger performance in 7th grade suggests targeted support in specific grades could make a difference. For parents, the key takeaway is that Wendell Middle School faces systemic, long-standing challenges, but pockets of progress exist. Understanding the school's context—high poverty, high absenteeism, and low district support—will help families set realistic expectations and advocate for the resources these students need.
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