Summary:
The 83646 ZIP code in Meridian, Idaho is home to seven elementary schools serving pre-kindergarten through 5th grade, all part of the highly ranked Joint School District No. 2, and together these schools form one of Idaho's strongest clusters of elementary education. The average math proficiency of 65.7% and ELA proficiency of 69.1% far exceed state averages, and every school in the ZIP beats the state in both subjects.
Two schools stand out as elite performers. Paramount Elementary School ranks #8 in the state with 80% math and 82.2% ELA proficiency, while Prospect Elementary School ranks #13 with 75% math and 78.1% ELA, along with the lowest chronic absenteeism in the area at 7.7%. Barbara Morgan Stem Academy is the science standout, posting 77.6% 5th-grade science proficiency, and its state rank has improved from #46 to #35 over three years. At the other end, River Valley Elementary School faces the most challenges, with 53.9% free/reduced lunch eligibility, 18.6% chronic absenteeism, and proficiency rates well below the rest of the ZIP, though it has improved from #204 to #148 in two years. Chief Joseph School Of The Arts is an interesting middle-ground school: despite 47.1% poverty, its low absenteeism (9.9%) helps it maintain near-average scores.
Several patterns stand out. Math is a relative strength here—unlike the state and district, where ELA beats math by about 11 points, these schools have nearly closed that gap. Grade-level trends show ELA rising strongly by 5th grade (75.0%) while math declines slightly. Smaller class sizes do not guarantee better results: River Valley and Chief Joseph have the lowest student-teacher ratios (14.9) but the lowest ranks, while Pleasant View Elementary's 21.6 ratio doesn't hold it back. Attendance and poverty track closely with performance, however. For parents, the clear takeaway is that Paramount and Prospect offer the strongest overall academics, Barbara Morgan is the best choice for science-focused families, and even the lowest-ranked schools here exceed state averages in most areas.
Thank you for your feedback!