The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Math. The lowest is 27% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hailey Elementary School
Hailey Elementary School sits in the center of Hailey, the county seat of Blaine County, in Idaho's Wood River Valley. A regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, it is part of the Blaine County School District, which is headquartered in the same town and covers the entire county. The school's enrollment is modest for its grade band, with fairly even distribution across the early grades.
The student body is nearly evenly split between Hispanic and white students, with a small handful of students identifying as Asian or multiracial. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on English-learner status and individualized education programs was not available, so those figures are absent here. A parent wanting to understand the school's special-population services would need to ask the district directly.
On the most recent Idaho ISAT, results were mixed and, in several grade-level cells, imprecise. Third-grade math proficiency was reported only as a range because of a small tested subgroup, landing below a third of students. Fourth-grade math was the strongest result, with nearly half of tested students reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade math was again reported as a range, with a wide band that makes a single conclusion hard to draw. In English language arts, third grade saw roughly a quarter of students proficient. Fourth and fifth grade ELA results were suppressed by the state, with only broad ranges published, likely a function of small subgroup sizes rather than a statement about performance. Fifth-grade science showed zero proficient students, though the reported range extends upward, again reflecting suppression rules tied to small numbers. Average scale scores and participation rates were missing across the board.
The picture that emerges is of a school where tested outcomes are generally below state midpoint levels, with fourth-grade math as a relative bright spot. Several cells are too small or too suppressed to read with confidence, so a parent weighing this school should treat the state report card as a starting point and ask the school directly about grade-level trends, intervention supports, and how the staff interprets these results. No multi-year trend data was available in a usable form, and no comparison fact-set was provided to position the school against its neighbors in Blaine County.
Hailey itself is a small town with a strong Western identity, shaped by its location twelve miles south of Sun Valley and Ketchum along State Highway 75. The town is largely car-dependent but has an active civic core along Main Street, where community events like the Days of the Old West celebration bring crowds out for parades, a rodeo, and a mock shoot-out. Sawtooth National Forest surrounds the city, and outdoor recreation dominates local culture, from hiking and mountain biking to skiing and fly fishing. The town has a notable Basque heritage and supports two local newspapers. Friedman Memorial Airport sits within city limits, providing regional air connectivity that links the broader resort economy.
The housing market here is expensive. Publicly reported home values in the school's zip code run well above both the state and national benchmarks, and the price-to-income ratio is steep. Rental data was not available. For families considering the area, this means that buying a home near the school requires a high income or substantial equity, and the broader Blaine County resort economy drives much of that cost pressure. The town has seen population growth and some outward expansion beyond the valley floor, with city boundaries described as constantly changing, suggesting ongoing development pressure even as specific new housing projects were not identified in available sources.
Schools and civic institutions are spread across Hailey rather than clustered on a single campus. Hailey Elementary is centrally located, with Wood River Middle School to the north and Wood River High School near the Foxmoor subdivision. Alturas Elementary, a magnet school, sits in the south of the city. Private options include the Sage School for grades six through twelve in Hailey and the Community School in neighboring Sun Valley. The College of Southern Idaho operates a Blaine County Center in town, giving families a local higher-education presence as well.
No district-level brief on recent bonds, levies, or strategic priorities was available, so there is little here on recent facilities investments or program initiatives. A parent interested in those questions would need to consult the Blaine County School District directly.
See more original research from School Decision →