Lapwai District, ID - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Lapwai District

Lapwai District sits in Nez Perce County, Idaho, serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across two schools: Lapwai Elementary School and Lapwai Middle/High School. The district is small, with a total enrollment modest enough that each grade level holds only a few dozen students. This is a tight-knit, community-centered district where the student body is predominantly American Indian and Alaska Native, with a substantial majority identifying in that category. A smaller portion of students identify as Hispanic, white, or two or more races, and the district enrolls a handful of Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students as well. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data was not available, nor were counts for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so the economic and special-population profile of the district is not fully visible from the data on hand.

On state assessments, the most recent Idaho Standards Achievement Test results show a district working from a position of academic challenge. Math proficiency is low across the tested grade levels, with most grades sitting in the lower range of what the state reports. Third, fourth, and seventh grade math proficiency falls within a band that tops out well below half of tested students meeting the proficient threshold. Sixth and eighth grade math results are reported as point estimates and land even lower. English language arts tells a somewhat more varied story. Fifth grade ELA proficiency reaches the moderate range, and seventh grade shows a band that spans from roughly a third of students up to nearly half. Third grade ELA sits at the lower end. Science results were available only for fifth and eighth grade, both reported as ranges, and both land in the lower to moderate bands. Average scale scores were not reported across any subject or grade. Participation rates were also missing from the available data.

The pattern across these results is consistent: the district's students are performing below where most Idaho districts would want to see their students, particularly in math. A parent considering Lapwai may want to look into how the district is responding to these results and what support structures are in place for students working below grade level. The small cohort sizes in each grade mean that a few students moving above or below proficiency can shift the picture noticeably from year to year, which is worth keeping in mind when reading the results.

We looked for recent district-level changes, strategic initiatives, or program expansions that might speak to how Lapwai is addressing its academic position, but the search returned little of lasting impact. Program offerings such as advanced coursework, career and technical education pathways, or dual-credit opportunities were not included in the data provided, so we cannot characterize what the academic pathway looks like beyond the core tested subjects. Civil-rights data, staffing ratios, attendance figures, discipline data, and course-access information were also absent.

The housing context across the district's area is mixed. The district draws from a wide set of communities spread across Nez Perce County and neighboring areas, including Lewiston, Culdesac, Juliaetta, Kendrick, Lapwai itself, Lenore, Peck, Winchester, and a small reach into Genesee. Home values vary considerably across these communities. The district's weighted typical home value sits well below the Idaho state benchmark and modestly below the national one, reflecting the rural and small-town character of the area. The most affordable communities in the district's footprint have home values considerably lower than the weighted average, while the pricier edges approach or exceed the state benchmark. Rent data was available only for the Lewiston area, where rents run at a level that looks affordable relative to typical mortgage costs in the region. For a family weighing where to live within the district's boundaries, the housing market offers a spectrum from very modest entry points to mid-range small-town pricing.

What the data does convey is a small, rural, majority-Native district with deep community roots and a clear academic hill to climb. The peer environment is intimate and culturally centered, and the housing market is accessible by Idaho standards. The academic results, though, are the part a parent would want to probe further, asking the district directly what is being done and what the trajectory looks like.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

516

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 10%

Black 1%

White 7%

Two+ 7%

Am. Indian / AK Native 75%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

LAPWAI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

LAPWAI MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

2 grades reported

20%

Grade 6

17%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

2 grades reported

25%

Grade 3

41%

Grade 5

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$348,026

Year-over-year change+2.4%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$275K to $463K

vs. state typical0.73x

vs. national typical0.95x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
83501	Lewiston	$387K	+1.9%	27.8%
83540	Lapwai	$309K	+2.6%	26.3%
83555	Winchester	$275K	+2.3%	25.2%
83541	Lenore	$463K	+2.4%	10.4%
83535	Juliaetta	$402K	+3.2%	7.6%
83524	Culdesac	$419K	+3.1%	2.3%
83537	Kendrick	$431K	+5.6%	0.4%
83545	Peck	$402K	-0.5%	0.0%
83832	Genesee	$455K	+1.2%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,236/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
83501	Lewiston	$1,236	—	27.8%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,756/mo

Home price / national median income4.2x

Annual rent / national median income17.7%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$520/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$477,506 (+1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.