Summary:
ZIP code 83448 is home to a single middle school, Sugar-Salem Junior High School, which serves grades 6 through 8 in the small, rural community of Sugar City, Idaho, as part of the Sugar-Salem Joint District. With 370 students and a 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio, this school is the only option for local families seeking a public middle school education in this ZIP code, so all comparisons must be made against district and state averages rather than nearby schools.
Sugar-Salem Junior High stands out most for its strong attendance: the chronic absenteeism rate is just 7.1%, roughly half the state average of 13.8%. Academically, however, the school trails state averages in most tested areas. The one bright spot is 6th-grade math, where 47% of students are proficient, exceeding both the district (42.1%) and state (42.5%). Conversely, 8th-grade English Language Arts is a major weakness, with only 29.8% proficient compared to 54.5% statewide. Science proficiency is alarmingly low at 16.5%, a 26-point gap from the state average. Overall math and ELA proficiency for all grades are 39.3% and 39.4%, respectively, both below district and state levels.
The school’s statewide ranking has declined sharply, falling from the 46th percentile (2 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 20th–21st percentile (1 star) in the two most recent years. ELA proficiency dropped 3.1 points year over year, while math improved slightly. With 38.11% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, the school serves a moderate share of economically disadvantaged students. While attendance is a clear strength, the combination of low science scores, weak 8th-grade literacy, and a sliding ranking suggests that families should look closely at the school’s instructional supports and consider advocating for targeted interventions in reading and STEM subjects.
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