The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Math. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Midway Elementary School
Midway Elementary sits in Menan, a very small rural town in Jefferson County, part of the Idaho Falls metropolitan area. The town was founded as the first Latter-day Saint settlement in the Snake River Valley and retains what its own city website calls a familiar, rural small-town feel. It spans roughly one square mile, with a Valley Wide convenience store as the main commercial node and a public library serving Menan and the neighboring communities of Annis and Grant. Most working residents likely commute south to Idaho Falls or southeast to Rigby for employment, as no major local employers were identified in publicly available sources. The town's signature event is a large Fourth of July celebration that draws thousands from surrounding areas for games, food, a duck race, and fireworks.
The school is a regular public elementary serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, part of Jefferson County Joint District. Its enrollment is moderate for a school covering that grade span. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and minimal representation from other racial or ethnic groups. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which points to a working-class community with real economic needs. Data on English learners and special education populations was not available in the provided records.
On state testing, Midway's results are largely suppressed, a common practice when grade-level cohorts are small enough that reporting exact proficiency could identify individual students. The state reports proficiency as a range for most grade levels and subjects. The one reportable math result, for fourth grade, landed below the midpoint. The one reportable ELA result, for fifth grade, sat below that. Third-grade math, third-grade ELA, fourth-grade ELA, fifth-grade math, and fifth-grade science all appear only as ranges, with upper bounds that suggest these results could fall anywhere from very low to middling. A parent reading these results should understand that the suppression reflects small class sizes rather than any attempt to obscure performance. The two reportable figures come from single grade levels in a single year, not a pattern across the school. A parent may want to ask the school directly about proficiency trends across grades and years to get a fuller picture.
School environment data is thin. No staffing ratios, attendance figures, discipline data, or course access information were available. No special programs, magnet designations, or charter status apply. Title I status was not reported. Parents considering Midway should ask the school what instructional supports, interventions, or enrichment opportunities are in place, especially given the economic profile of the student body.
Housing in the school's zip code sits below the Idaho state benchmark but above the national one, with recent year-over-year appreciation pointing to a market that is tightening but still more affordable than much of the state. Rent data was not available. Menan's population has been relatively stable over decades with possible renewed growth in recent estimates, and no major new housing developments or commercial projects were identified in publicly available sources. The town's rural character and small footprint suggest limited large-scale development activity on the horizon.
At the district level, no recent parent-relevant changes were found. No property-tax shifts, curriculum changes, or bond referenda with lasting impact surfaced in the search. This means families looking at Midway are looking at a school in a quiet, stable rural district without the disruption of recent restructuring, but also without publicly documented initiatives that might signal new investment or program expansion. No comparison data positioning Midway against neighboring schools in its county was available in the provided records.
Midway Elementary fits families seeking a small rural school in a tight-knit community where most amenities and employment are a short drive away. The academic data that is visible is not strong, and most of it is suppressed, so the clearest step for an interested parent is to contact the school directly, ask about grade-level proficiency trends, and learn what supports exist for students working below grade level.
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