Best Public Schools in Zip Code 83623

Zip code 83623, serving the rural community of Glenns Ferry, Idaho, contains three small public schools—Glenns Ferry Elementary School (PK–5), Glenns Ferry Middle School (6–8), and Glenns Ferry High School (9–12)—totaling 361 students across a single shared campus within the Glenns Ferry Joint District, which ranks in the 14th percentile of Idaho districts with a 1-star rating.

Within this small system, the schools show distinct performance patterns. Glenns Ferry Middle School is the clear bright spot: it jumped from the 12th to the 32nd percentile in statewide rankings, and its 7th grade students shine with 66.7% ELA proficiency and 53.3% math proficiency—both well above state averages. Glenns Ferry High School also deserves attention, posting a 52.6% ELA proficiency rate that nearly matches the state average and maintaining a solid 82.5% graduation rate with just 11.0% chronic absenteeism. However, Glenns Ferry Elementary School faces the toughest challenges, with 66% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch and scores placing it in the state's 11th percentile. Elementary math proficiency sits at just 24.7%, and only 36.1% of elementary students were proficient in ELA.

Across the district, math and science remain the weakest subjects, with every school trailing state averages by roughly 15–20 percentage points. Chronic absenteeism follows an unusual pattern, decreasing from 19.5% at the elementary level to 11.0% at the high school—the opposite of most districts. Per-student spending ranging from $10,215 to $11,690 is moderate by Idaho standards, and small class sizes (student-teacher ratios between 11.5 and 13.3) mean students receive personalized attention. For parents, the middle school's dramatic improvement and the high school's solid literacy outcomes offer encouraging signs, though the elementary and middle schools clearly need additional support in STEM subjects and early-grade attendance.