Priest River Junior High School

Summary:

Priest River Junior High School is a public middle school in Priest River, Idaho, serving 184 students in grades 7-8. The school stands out for its strong performance in English Language Arts, higher spending per student, and smaller class sizes, but faces challenges with chronic absenteeism and lags behind in Math and Science proficiency.

Compared to nearby Sandpoint Middle School and Timberlake Middle School, Priest River Junior High has a significantly higher percentage of white students (95.65%) and a higher rate of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (41.85%). While the school outperforms the Lake Pend Oreille School District and the state in English Language Arts, it lags behind in Math and Science proficiency.

Interestingly, Priest River Junior High spends significantly more per student ($12,279) than the nearby schools, but this higher spending does not seem to translate into consistently better academic outcomes. The school has, however, shown steady improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from the bottom quartile to the top half of Idaho middle schools. Additionally, the school's lower student-teacher ratio of 16.9 could be a contributing factor to its stronger performance in English Language Arts.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 1020 West Albeni Highway
       Priest River, ID  83856-6076


(208) 448-1118

District: West Bonner County District

SchoolDigger Rank:
49th of 164 Idaho Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,279 Help


Students who attend Priest River Junior High School usually attend:

High:    Priest River Lamanna High

Feeder schools for Priest River Junior High School:

Elementary:    Idaho Hill Elementary School
    Priest Lake Elementary School
    Priest River Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.8 Help
Number of students:  157

Racial breakdown:

White:
93.6%
Hispanic:
3.2%
Two or more races:
2.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  39.5% Help


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 Compare Priest River Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Priest River Junior High School ranks better than 70.1% of middle schools in Idaho. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.6. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.2%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 39.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Priest River Junior High School is 14.8. (See more...)
Help
Compare Priest River Junior High School employs 10.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Priest River Junior High School is $12,279.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Priest River Junior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Priest River Junior High School 49th of 164 Idaho public middle schools. (See Priest River Junior High School in the ranking list.)



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Rank History for Priest River Junior High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools ID State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2008 60.86 60th 158 62.0%
2009 62.70 55th 160 65.6%
2010 51.83 89th 166 46.4%
2011 45.04 100th 169 40.8%
2012 48.82 94th 171 45.0%
2013 48.79 92nd 173 46.8%
2015 20.22 83rd 100 17.0%
2017 39.45 76th 131 42.0%
2018 27.69 75th 100 25.0%
2023 52.24 41st 107 61.7%
2024 63.60 49th 164 70.1%
See the entire list of Idaho Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Idaho Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Priest River Junior High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, April 12, 2012

Open Quote I have found staff to be highly unprofessional. when having academic struggles and behavior struggles with son, tried to cooperate with staff to find solutions. My son transferred out of state with Sec. 504; school insisted they "do not have the resources", suspended my son for nearly 30 school days last year (2010-2011), and did NOTHING to help with problem. this parent had to take initiative to contact staff regarding issues. I have been told from numerous credible sources that this school has spread hateful and hurtful and most importantly, untrue rumors about me. I tried to cooperate with school, but they chose to make personal attacks on this parent instead. I took this problem all the way to the superintendent and school board with no positive results. My son has since been put on an IEP, but no academic support comes from the school. He's enrolled online for a few core classes, and a phone call from the counselor twice a week is all the support I get. In the end I, a single working parent of 4 children, lost my job due to too many phone calls and meetings regarding school issues. This has been my personal experience with this school. Others may have had different results. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Priest River Junior High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 275 275
2001 258 0 0 1 3 n/a n/a 0 262
2002 222 1 1 3 40 n/a n/a 0 267
2003 222 1 1 3 40 n/a n/a 0 267
2004 244 1 0 3 1 n/a n/a 0 249
2005 242 0 1 2 3 n/a n/a 0 248
2006 233 1 0 4 6 n/a n/a 0 244
2007 229 1 0 4 4 n/a n/a 0 238
2008 218 1 1 7 3 n/a n/a 0 230
2009 227 1 4 6 5 n/a n/a 0 243
2010 215 1 2 4 3 n/a n/a 0 225
2011 184 0 0 3 2 1 8 0 198
2012 177 0 0 6 3 1 7 0 194
2013 172 0 0 13 2 1 7 0 195
2014 185 1 0 13 1 0 10 0 210
2015 175 2 0 4 1 0 15 0 197
2016 153 0 0 2 1 0 10 0 166
2017 141 0 0 4 0 0 8 0 153
2018 148 0 0 4 1 0 5 0 158
2019 131 0 0 6 3 1 6 0 147
2020 139 0 0 8 0 1 12 0 160
2021 127 0 0 6 0 0 5 0 138
2022 164 0 0 6 0 0 1 0 171
2023 176 0 0 6 0 0 2 0 184
2024 147 0 0 5 1 0 4 0 157

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Priest River Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 275 15.2 18.1 43.3
2001 262 16.3 16.1 46.6
2002 267 16.2 16.5 64.4
2003 267 16.2 16.5 64.4
2004 249 16.4 15.2 56.2
2005 248 15.5 16.0 66.1
2006 244 16.7 14.6 54.5
2007 238 16.5 14.4 52.5
2008 230 16.4 14.0 59.1
2009 243 15.2 15.9 53.9
2010 225 15.4 14.5 58.7
2011 198 17.0 11.6 66.2
2012 194 16.3 11.8 59.3
2013 195 12.5 15.5 73.3
2014 210 12.7 16.4 61.4
2015 197 12.0 16.4 60.4
2016 166 11.0 15.0 50.6
2017 153 10.6 14.4 60.1
2018 158 10.8 14.5 55.7
2019 147 10.3 14.2 51
2020 160 9.2 17.2 59.4
2021 138 10.8 12.6 35.5
2022 171 10.9 15.6 29.8
2023 184 10.8 16.9 41.8
2024 157 10.5 14.8 39.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Priest River Junior High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 275 15.2 18.1 43.3
2001 262 16.3 16.1 46.6
2002 267 16.2 16.5 64.4
2003 267 16.2 16.5 64.4
2004 249 16.4 15.2 56.2
2005 248 15.5 16.0 66.1
2006 244 16.7 14.6 54.5
2007 238 16.5 14.4 52.5
2008 230 16.4 14.0 59.1
2009 243 15.2 15.9 53.9
2010 225 15.4 14.5 58.7
2011 198 17.0 11.6 66.2
2012 194 16.3 11.8 59.3
2013 195 12.5 15.5 73.3
2014 210 12.7 16.4 61.4
2015 197 12.0 16.4 60.4
2016 166 11.0 15.0 50.6
2017 153 10.6 14.4 60.1
2018 158 10.8 14.5 55.7
2019 147 10.3 14.2 51
2020 160 9.2 17.2 59.4
2021 138 10.8 12.6 35.5
2022 171 10.9 15.6 29.8
2023 184 10.8 16.9 41.8
2024 157 10.5 14.8 39.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Priest River Junior High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,400 (11.4%) $10,879 (88.6%) $12,279

Data source: Idaho Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Priest River Junior High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades Math (Priest River Junior High School)33.435.5
 2.1%
   All Grades Math (West Bonner County District)37.835.4
 2.4%
   All Grades Math (Idaho)44.441.5
 2.9%
All Grades English Language Arts (Priest River Junior High School)42.754.4
 11.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (West Bonner County District)49.346.6
 2.7%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)5552.2
 2.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students147184
 25.2%
African American00
American Indian30
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic66
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White131176
 34.4%
Two or More Races62
 66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51%41.8%
 9.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Priest River Junior High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 157 students attended Priest River Junior High School.

Students at Priest River Junior High School are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Priest River Junior High School ranks 49th of 164 Idaho middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Priest River Junior High School usually go on to attend Priest River Lamanna High


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Idaho Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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