Summary:
Zip code 83641 contains just one high school—Melba High School—a small rural school in Melba, Idaho, serving grades 7 through 12 as part of the Melba Joint District, with 394 students and a 15.7:1 student-teacher ratio. About 35% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school combines middle and high school grades under one roof, which means its test scores blend both levels.
The school's strongest asset is attendance, with just 6.7% chronic absenteeism compared to the state's 13.8%. Academically, English Language Arts is the bright spot: all-grades proficiency is 49.5% against the state's 54.0%, and the school improved from 46.1% to 49.5% in one year. Math, however, trails at 31.0% versus 43.1% statewide, and science is the biggest concern, with only 20.3% proficiency compared to the state's 42.7%. The 8th grade stands out as a trouble spot—8th-grade science proficiency is just 9.7% versus 42.9% statewide, and 8th-grade math and ELA also lag well behind their 7th-grade and end-of-course counterparts.
Melba High's state ranking has been volatile, swinging from the 62nd percentile (3 stars) in 2023–24 to the 11th percentile (1 star) in 2024–25, then to the 30th percentile (2 stars) in 2025–26—a pattern common in small schools where a single cohort can shift results significantly. The graduation rate of 82.5% matches the state exactly. For parents, the school offers strong attendance, a stable graduation rate, and solid ELA performance, but families should pay close attention to math, science, and the 8th-grade experience when considering this district. The clearest opportunity for improvement lies in investigating 8th-grade instruction, particularly in science, where proficiency is currently in the single digits.
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