Original Research by School Decision on Idaho Stem Academy Inc.
Idaho STEM Academy Inc. is a small independent charter district in Blackfoot, Idaho, operating a single school, Bingham Academy, for students in grades nine through twelve. The district identifies as a tuition-free, STEM-focused public charter high school, which positions it as a specialized option for families seeking a science- and technology-oriented pathway at the secondary level.
The most pressing fact for any parent or resident to know is that Bingham Academy is closing. According to publicly reported information from the Idaho Public Charter School Commission, the school's board voted on August 27, 2025, to shut down the school effective September 2, 2025. Because Bingham Academy was the only school operated by Idaho STEM Academy Inc., the closure effectively ends the district. This also removes the only public charter high school option in the area, meaning families who had chosen or were considering this school will need to seek alternative high school placements.
The enrollment at Bingham Academy was small even by charter school standards, with a total population that fits comfortably within a single graduating class at many larger high schools. The student body skews toward the upper grades, with the largest concentration in tenth grade and a substantial senior class. The school draws a relatively diverse mix of students for the region. White students make up the largest group, followed by a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller but present Asian contingent. A handful of students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or two or more races. There are no Black students enrolled, according to the reported figures.
Several important data points that parents typically rely on were not available in this district's records. Free and reduced-price lunch counts, which indicate the economic needs of the student body, were missing. Special education enrollment figures and English learner counts were also not reported. Without these, it is difficult to assess what support services the school may have offered or how its population compared to other Idaho schools on those dimensions.
Academic performance data was limited. No state assessment summary was available in the provided records. The one trend series that appears, covering English language arts proficiency, shows four data points within the same school year. The earliest point in that series reflects a majority of students scoring proficient, while the final point drops sharply to a much smaller share. Without additional context about what these points represent, whether different grade levels, different assessment windows, or different student groups, a parent cannot draw a clear conclusion about overall academic performance from this series alone. The absence of a complete academic performance summary, graduation rate data, and any civil-rights or discipline reporting leaves a substantial gap in the picture. We looked for program offerings, course access details, staffing information, and attendance data but found none reported. A locale brief and community economic context for Blackfoot were also absent from the available material, so we cannot speak to the housing market, local economy, or neighborhood setting.
A neighbor comparison fact-set was not provided, so we cannot position this district against others in its county or region.
What remains is a narrow but consequential account. This was a very small, STEM-oriented charter high school in Blackfoot serving a modest and somewhat diverse student body. The available academic data is too sparse and internally inconsistent to support a clear judgment about educational quality. And the school has now closed by board vote, so for any family reading this, the practical question is no longer whether Bingham Academy is a good fit but where to turn next for high school education in the area. The Idaho Public Charter School Commission and the local school district would be the appropriate starting points for identifying alternative placements.
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