The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 67%.
Original Research by School Decision on Donnelly Elementary
Donnelly Elementary sits in the small town of Donnelly, Idaho, a rural community on the northeast shore of Lake Cascade that has shifted over the years from logging and agriculture toward tourism and outdoor recreation. The town serves as a gateway to Tamarack Resort and retains a quiet character along its Main Street corridor, where historic buildings still stand. A summer farmers market brings seasonal life to the core. For families considering this area, the elementary school is the local academic anchor; middle and high school students travel north to McCall for secondary education.
The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public campus in the McCall-Donnelly Joint School District. It is a small school, with enrollment that keeps class sizes intimate. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and a few students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native or as two or more races. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and students receiving special education services was not available, so we cannot characterize those populations here.
On state assessments, English language arts results stand out as a clear strength. Across the tested grades, a strong majority of students demonstrated proficiency, with consistent performance from third through fifth grade. This is a solid showing for a small rural school. Math results were reported only as ranges rather than exact figures, a practice the state uses when cohort sizes are small, so a precise read on math performance is harder to draw from the available data. The ranges leave room for wide variation, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school. Fifth-grade science was also reported as a range for the same reason. Average scale scores were not available for any subject, and participation rates were missing from the data we received.
We looked for the district's strategic priorities or recent parent-relevant changes and found little, so we left it out rather than guess. The district brief turned up mostly directory and profile information without recent developments of lasting impact.
The housing market in Donnelly's zip code is expensive relative to both state and national benchmarks. Typical home values run well above the Idaho statewide level and far above the national figure, and the price-to-income ratio is steep. Estimated monthly mortgage costs are substantial at current interest rates. Rental data was not available for this area, which may reflect the limited rental stock in a very small town. For families considering a move here, the cost of homeownership is a real factor. The broader local economy is tiny in terms of employment, with educational services, other services, and real estate as the largest sectors. Many working residents commute, and the town is car-dependent by nature.
Donnelly is experiencing growth relative to its small size. The city adopted a comprehensive plan addressing future land use, housing, and development in response to what it publicly describes as the ripple effect of Idaho's population boom. Employment has grown, and Tamarack Resort's restart after emerging from foreclosure has been a catalyst for tourism-driven activity. Civic anchors include a city park, the Donnelly Public Library, and Lake Cascade as a recreational draw. The library gained statewide attention by becoming Idaho's first adults-only public library, a decision tied to state legislation.
For families, the picture is one of a small, close-knit rural school in a growing recreation-oriented town. The ELA results suggest the school is doing solid work in literacy. Math and science results are harder to read because of small-cohort reporting. The setting offers outdoor access and a quiet pace of life, but housing costs are high and local employment is limited. We did not find data on program offerings, course access, staffing, attendance, or discipline, so questions about enrichment, specialist support, and school climate would be best directed to the school directly.
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