The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Alturas International Academy
Alturas International Academy is a public charter elementary school in Idaho Falls serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates as part of the Alturas International Academy Inc. charter network, which has grown from a single K through 8 school into a three-school system spanning K through 12. Publicly reported information indicates the network offers what it describes as Southeastern Idaho's only full International Baccalaureate program pathway from elementary through high school, which means a family enrolling a kindergartner here has a continuous IB-aligned option through graduation if they choose to stay within the network.
The school sits in a city that functions as the commercial, cultural, and healthcare hub for eastern Idaho and parts of Wyoming and Montana. Idaho Falls built its modern economy around Idaho National Laboratory, which remains the dominant regional employer, and the city has layered on retail, restaurant, and medical sectors since the 1990s. The historic downtown runs along the Snake River with plazas, shops, the Museum of Idaho, the Colonial Theatre, and an extensive river walk trail. University and research facilities from several institutions cluster just north of downtown. The city has grown steadily over recent decades, and a large mixed-use development called Snake River Landing continues to add residential and event space on the west side of the river.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show a clear pattern. In English language arts, proficiency rises meaningfully from third grade through fifth grade, with the oldest tested students reaching a solid majority proficient. That upward arc across grades suggests the school's literacy instruction builds momentum as students progress. Mathematics results are more middling across the three tested grades, fluctuating without the same clear trajectory. Fifth-grade science, the only science grade tested at this level, shows a slim majority proficient. No multi-year trend data was available in a form that allows comparison, so families cannot yet see whether these results represent growth, stability, or decline over time. Average scale scores and participation rates were also not reported in the data we reviewed.
The enrollment is moderate for a K-through-5 school, with grade-level cohorts that are closely balanced. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic presence and small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so we cannot characterize how the school serves those populations from the provided information.
Idaho Falls housing costs sit below the state benchmark and roughly in line with national figures, making the area relatively approachable compared with other parts of Idaho. Rents are modest. The broader economic context includes a national unemployment rate holding steady and mortgage rates that have fluctuated in a narrow range, factors that shape what a family budgeting for a move here would face.
Several categories of school-level information were absent from the data. No civil-rights data, discipline figures, course-access details, staffing counts, or attendance rates were provided. Title I status was not reported. Locale classification was also missing. For a K-through-5 school, the absence of a graduation rate is expected rather than a gap, since the school does not serve high school grades.
What the available picture supports is a charter elementary with a coherent academic identity, anchored in an IB pathway that extends through high school within the same network. Its ELA results are the strongest part of its assessment profile, showing real gains across the upper elementary grades. Math is less consistent. A parent weighing this school may want to look into the IB framework as implemented at the elementary level, ask how the school supports students who are not yet at proficiency in math, and seek out the staffing and special-population information that was not available here.
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