The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Firth Middle School
Firth Middle School sits in a very small, primarily residential town on the eastern side of the Snake River, along US Route 91 with the Blackfoot Mountains in view. The town began as a Swedish settlement and retains a quiet character. Commercial activity runs along the main highway, and civic life centers on community traditions: a symphony orchestra drawing players from across the region, annual Homecoming and Christmas Lights parades, a summer breakfast, and a children's rodeo tied to the local FFA alumni. Schools and civic buildings are woven into the town rather than set apart on separate campuses, and the district's sports fields, ballparks, and walking paths serve double duty as community recreation space when school events are not using them.
The middle school serves grades five through eight as part of Firth School District #59, which also operates an elementary school and a high school. Enrollment is small for the grade band, with each cohort numbering in the range typical of a rural Idaho town of this size. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic minority and very small representation from other groups. A moderate share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not reported, so those populations, if present, are not visible in the available records. Because the school ends at eighth grade, no graduation rate applies.
On state assessments, the picture is mixed and varies by grade and subject. English language arts results sit in a band where roughly half of tested students reach proficiency, with the strongest showing in seventh grade and the weakest in eighth. Math results tell a more uneven story. Proficiency rises from fifth grade through seventh, where it reaches its highest point, then drops sharply in eighth grade to a level well below the other grades. This eighth-grade math result is the clearest soft spot in the school's academic profile, and a parent whose child is approaching that grade may want to look into how the school supports students through that transition. Science proficiency was reported only as a range rather than a precise figure, and the underlying counts were suppressed, which often reflects small testing populations in these grades rather than a weak result.
No multi-year trend data was available beyond the current year, so whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability cannot be determined. Average scale scores were also missing from the reported data. Program offerings, staffing details, attendance figures, and discipline records were not provided in the available sources, leaving a limited view of the school's full operating picture.
The town is growing slowly, with modest population increases since the last census and no major new housing developments identified. Housing values in the school's zip code sit below the Idaho state benchmark but above the national figure, and estimated monthly mortgage costs meaningfully exceed what a household would pay in rent. Buying here costs more than renting, which may factor into a family's decision about how long to commit to the area. No rent index was available, so rental market specifics beyond the income comparison remain limited.
Publicly reported community resources include a river-bottoms nature area with a paved walking path, a park with playground and picnic facilities, and the school district's own recreation amenities. No public library was mentioned in available sources, and no public transit system serves the town. Law enforcement comes from the Bingham County Sheriff's Department. Major employers were not identified in public reporting, consistent with the town's size and residential character.
We looked for recent district-level changes that would matter to parents, such as curriculum shifts, property tax changes, or bond measures, and found none reported. The search returned only general district profile information, so the account here stays with what the school and town currently offer rather than changes in motion.
Firth Middle School fits a family looking for a small, community-rooted setting in a rural town where the school is tightly woven into civic life and where class sizes are modest. The academic results are middling overall, with a genuine strength in seventh grade and a clear weakness in eighth-grade math that warrants attention. The program offerings are basic, with no magnet or specialized tracks, and the peer cohort is small by the nature of the community itself.
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