The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on A W Johnson Elementary School
A W Johnson Elementary School is a regular public school in Firth, Idaho, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is part of Firth District #59, which also operates a middle school and high school in town. The school sits in a very small, primarily residential community along US Route 91 on the eastern side of the Snake River, with the Blackfoot Mountains visible to the east.
Firth began as a Swedish settlement, and it retains a small-town character. Commercial activity is modest and concentrated along the main highway. The community has an active civic life for its size, including a symphony orchestra that draws musicians from across the region, annual Homecoming and Christmas Lights parades, a Fourth of July breakfast, and a Little Buckaroo Rodeo for children. Schools and civic buildings are woven into the town fabric rather than separated onto remote campuses, and the district's sports fields, ballparks, and play equipment are generally open for public use when not in use for school events. A paved walking path runs past the school sports fields to a Nature Park along the river. The town is growing slowly, with incremental population gains since the last census. No public library or transit system was identified in publicly available sources.
State assessment results are available for third and fourth grade, the two tested grades at this school. On the Idaho ISAT, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts sit at similar levels across the two tested grades, with just under half of students reaching the proficient level. These are the only tested grades because pre-kindergarten through second grade are not assessed by the state. Average scale scores and participation rates were not available in the data we reviewed. The state does not report a graduation rate for this school, and that metric does not apply to an elementary building. A multi-year trend series for ELA was present but appeared incomplete, so we are not drawing a trend conclusion from it.
The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic enrollment representing the largest other group. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not available in the provided records.
Housing in the school's zip code sits below the Idaho state benchmark for typical home values, and recent year-over-year appreciation has outpaced both the state and national rates. The estimated monthly mortgage cost reflects current interest rates, which remain elevated relative to recent historical norms. Rent data for the area was not available. The price-to-income ratio suggests that buying a home here carries affordability pressure, though the gap is narrower than in many parts of the state. We looked for major new housing developments and found little reported, which is consistent with the town's slow-growth trajectory.
We searched for parent-relevant district changes such as curriculum updates, property tax shifts, or referendums in Firth District and found none reported in the available sources, so we left that out rather than speculate. Staffing levels, discipline data, course access, and attendance figures were also not provided. Title I status was not reported.
For a parent weighing this school, the picture is one of a small, community-rooted elementary in a quiet, slowly growing town. The assessment results show a share of students reaching proficiency that leaves room for growth, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking about instructional support and how the district addresses students performing below grade level. The community's identity is tight-knit, with schools serving as civic anchors and recreation hubs, which may appeal to families looking for a place where school life and town life overlap. The tradeoff is that program data, staffing details, and specialized services were not available in the records we reviewed, so families seeking information on those dimensions will need to go directly to the district.
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