The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in Science. The lowest is 77% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highlands Elementary School
Highlands Elementary sits on Bogus Basin Road in Boise, serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as part of the Boise Independent District. It is a regular public school without charter or magnet designation. The enrollment is small for a school spanning that many grades, with tight cohorts moving through together.
Academic performance on the Idaho ISAT is the strongest signal in this profile. Across every tested grade in both math and English language arts, proficiency rates run well above what most Idaho schools post. Math results hold steady from third through sixth grade, with a clear majority of students reaching proficiency at each level. English language arts follows a similar pattern, and sixth-grade reading results stand out as particularly strong. Fifth-grade science proficiency is also high. The consistency across grades and subjects points to coherent instruction rather than a single-year spike. We looked for multi-year trend data to see whether these results reflect sustained performance, but the available trend information was not reliable enough to characterize a direction.
The student body is distinctive in its economic and demographic composition. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, far below what is typical for Boise or Idaho broadly. The school is predominantly white, with small representation from Hispanic students, students of two or more races, and a few Asian and Black students. This is a relatively homogeneous peer environment, which some families see as comfortable and others may want to weigh against the value of a more diverse setting. Data on English learner status and special education enrollment was not available, so we cannot speak to how those populations are served. A parent whose child receives special education services or English language support would want to ask the school directly about programming and staffing in those areas.
No graduation rate applies here, given the grade band, and no Advanced Placement, career pathway, or dual-credit offerings appear in the data, which is expected for an elementary school. We found no information on staffing ratios, discipline, attendance patterns, or specific enrichment programs. No comparison data positioning Highlands against other schools in its area was available, so we cannot place it relative to its neighbors.
The surrounding area is the Boise foothills, part of a city that functions as Idaho's capital and economic center. Boise hosts major employers including Micron Technology, Albertsons, J.R. Simplot Company, and Idaho Power, alongside Boise State University and state government. The Boise River Greenbelt, an extensive urban trail, runs through the city and connects parks and neighborhoods. Downtown Boise offers cultural amenities within a walkable core, though the foothills areas where Highlands sits are more auto-oriented and residential. The broader Treasure Valley has experienced sustained population growth, with technology investment driving much of the expansion.
Housing in the school's zip code is expensive relative to both state and national benchmarks. Home values sit well above Idaho's statewide level, and the price-to-income ratio is high, meaning a family buying here would need a strong income relative to the purchase price. Rents are also elevated, though renting remains substantially more affordable on a monthly basis than carrying a mortgage at current rates. For families considering the area, the housing market reflects the desirability of the foothills setting and the strength of the Boise economy.
The district brief searched for recent parent-relevant changes in the Boise Independent District but found little of lasting impact to report. No major district-level shifts, closures, or program overhauls surfaced in the available information.
What the data paints is a small, academically strong elementary school in an affluent Boise foothills neighborhood, serving a relatively homogeneous student body with consistent proficiency results across subjects and grades. The academic outcomes are genuine and sustained across the grade band. The gaps in available information on student support services, staffing, discipline, and program specifics mean that a family evaluating fit beyond test scores would benefit from visiting and asking directly about those dimensions.
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