The reported proficiency rate for Math is 35%.
Original Research by School Decision on Marsh Valley Middle School
Marsh Valley Middle School sits along Old Highway 91 just north of Arimo, a small rural farming community in Bannock County's Marsh Valley. The town was originally a rail stop on the Oregon Short Line, settled by Latter-day Saints in the 1870s, and it retains a quiet agricultural character. Publicly reported sources describe Arimo as part of the Pocatello metropolitan statistical area, though it functions as a distinct small-town community with minimal commercial presence. A convenience store, an LDS church, a funeral home, and city offices make up the local amenities. The city office is open only on Tuesdays. No public library or transit system was identified in publicly reported sources, and no major employers were found beyond the schools themselves, city offices, and farming. Many residents likely commute to Pocatello or other nearby communities for work. Arimo's population has been remarkably stable over decades, with slow growth and no major new housing developments or commercial projects identified.
The school serves grades seven and eight and is part of Marsh Valley Joint District, which also includes Mountain View Elementary in nearby McCammon and Marsh Valley High School, also located just north of Arimo. The three schools sit on separated campuses away from any town center, and there is no traditional downtown where civic and school life converge. Enrollment is small for a two-grade middle school, and the student body is predominantly white, with a very small number of students identifying as Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Black. A relatively small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not available in the provided information.
On the most recent state assessments, math results were reported for both grade levels. Seventh-grade math proficiency landed below the halfway mark, with fewer than half of tested students reaching proficiency. Eighth-grade math proficiency was notably lower, with only about a quarter of tested students proficient. This drop between the two grades is a pattern a parent may want to look into further with the school. English language arts results were reported in suppressed ranges for both grades rather than as precise figures, and the eighth-grade science result was similarly suppressed. Suppression in school-level reporting often reflects small subgroup sizes or privacy protections in small schools, so a reader should not read a suppressed result as a weak one. Still, the ranges provided do not allow for a clear read on ELA or science performance, and no multi-year trend data was available to show whether results are improving or declining over time.
No graduation rate applies here, since the school serves only seventh and eighth grades. No data on course access, staffing ratios, attendance, discipline, or Title I status was available in the provided information. Programs and extracurricular offerings were not included, so a parent would need to contact the school directly for details on what is available beyond core academics. Housing values and rent data were not provided in the payload, and no community or economic context data was supplied beyond what the locale brief described.
At the district level, publicly reported information indicates that voters approved a supplemental levy in March covering two school years, and that this levy represents a substantial portion of the district's total budget, funding teacher and staff salaries, benefits, programs, and daily operations. The district has relied on a supplemental levy for an extended period, and the current authorization expires in late June, meaning the district will need voter approval again to maintain current staffing and program levels. This is a recurring property-tax-funded mechanism that directly affects educational quality and class sizes, and a parent or resident moving into the area should be aware that district finances depend partly on local levy renewals.
Marsh Valley Middle School is a small, rural, two-grade school in a stable agricultural community with limited local amenities and services. The available academic data shows mixed math results with a notable decline between seventh and eighth grade, while ELA and science results are suppressed and cannot be clearly characterized. Families considering this school would benefit from asking directly about the eighth-grade math dip, the full range of programs and supports available, and how the district's levy-dependent budget affects classroom resources.
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