The reported proficiency rate for Math is 23%.
Original Research by School Decision on Bear Lake On-line Learning
Bear Lake On-Line Learning is a public school in Paris, Idaho, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates within the Bear Lake County District as a regular public school with an online instructional model, which sets it apart from the district's traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Paris is a small, entirely rural community and the county seat of Bear Lake County, sitting along US Route 89 with ranching land surrounding the town. The community was settled by Mormon pioneers, according to publicly reported sources, and retains a strong Latter-day Saint heritage anchored by the Bear Lake Stake Tabernacle, a sandstone church that stands as the most prominent civic and religious landmark. The annual July Fourth celebration, with its chuck wagon breakfast, pageant at the Tabernacle, parade, and youth rodeo at the Paris rodeo grounds, is the major civic event of the year. No public library or transit system was mentioned in available sources.
Paris has experienced a slight population decline in recent years, though median home values have risen substantially over the same period. Home values here remain below the state benchmark and sit modestly below the national figure, making this one of the more affordable corners of Idaho for families buying a home. No rent data was available for the area.
The school's enrollment is small, consistent with the rural community it serves. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and very few students in other racial or ethnic categories. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the economic profile of the student body cannot be assessed from what was provided. Information on students with individualized education programs and English learners was also missing.
Academically, state assessment results from the most recent school year present a limited picture. In mathematics, two grade levels had reportable proficiency rates, both falling in the lower range. Several other grade levels had results reported only as broad ranges rather than precise figures, a pattern that typically reflects very small testing populations and the privacy protections that follow from them. Eighth-grade math results were missing entirely. In English language arts, most grade-level results were suppressed, with only a few showing broad ranges. Science results at the tested grades were similarly suppressed or reported as ranges. Average scale scores were not available across any subject or grade.
What the available results suggest is that students at this school are performing below where state proficiency benchmarks sit, at least in the grades where rates could be reported. Because the school operates as an online learning program, these outcomes may reflect the particular challenges of remote instruction, the specific population it draws, or the small sample sizes that make year-to-year comparisons difficult. A parent considering this school may want to ask directly about how instruction is delivered, what support structures exist for students working remotely, and how the school addresses the proficiency gaps the state data shows.
Because Bear Lake On-Line Learning serves only kindergarten through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer the high-school-level programs, career pathways, or dual-credit courses that parents of older students might look for. No data was available on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, or attendance. The school's Title I status was also not reported. We looked for district-level information on recent changes, such as levy or bond activity, but found little, so we left it out rather than guess.
For a family already living in or near Paris, or for one drawn to the area's affordability and rural character, Bear Lake On-Line Learning offers a public-school option with a remote delivery model. The academic data available is thin and points to lower proficiency, so a parent would want to understand the school's instructional approach and supports in detail before choosing it over the district's traditional schools.
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