Summary:
Zip code 83703 contains just one middle school, Hillside Junior High School, part of the Boise Independent District, serving 561 students in grades 7 through 9. As the only middle school in the area, Hillside's performance carries extra weight for local families, and its overall picture is one of a stable, mid-pack school that has held a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger for three consecutive years, ranking 87th out of 174 Idaho middle schools in the 2025–2026 school year, right at the 50th percentile statewide.
Academically, math stands out as a clear strength: Hillside's students outperform the Idaho state average in math at every grade level, with 45.9% of all students proficient, and 7th graders reaching 48.5% proficiency. However, English Language Arts is a concern, as the school trails both the district and state averages, with only 52.5% of students proficient, down nearly 3 points from the prior year. Science proficiency also slipped to 40.9%, slightly below both the district and state. There is also a consistent grade-level gap, with 7th graders outperforming 8th graders in both math and ELA, suggesting that 8th grade may need additional academic support.
On the non-academic side, Hillside posts a 17.9% chronic absenteeism rate, which is notably better than the Boise district's 22.5% but still above the state's 13.8%. About 26.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a moderate level of economic need, and the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.6 to 1. While the most recent per-student spending figure of $10,075 dates back to 2018–2019 and may not reflect current funding, the overall picture is of a solid, typical Idaho middle school that excels in math but could improve in reading, science, and attendance to become more competitive statewide.
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