The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Post Falls Middle School
Post Falls Middle School sits in one of Idaho's fastest-growing communities, a suburban city that has reshaped itself from a lumber-mill town into a residential and manufacturing hub strung along Interstate 90 between Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. The school serves grades six through eight as part of Post Falls District 273, and its enrollment is moderate for a middle school in this grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic presence and very small representation from other racial and ethnic groups. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The community context matters here. Post Falls bills itself as the gateway to northern Idaho, and it has grown rapidly, drawing families into new suburban development along the highway corridors. The city is largely auto-oriented, with a riverfront downtown core and commercial strips lining the major arterials. Manufacturing is a meaningful employment sector, and the broader Spokane-Coeur d'Alene metro area has seen sustained in-migration. Publicly reported city history traces back to Frederick Post's commercial sawmill on the Spokane River falls, with Treaty Rock Park preserving a pictograph of the land purchase between Post and Chief Seltice of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. The district brief turned up little on recent parent-relevant changes, so there is not much to report on that front.
On state assessments, the academic picture is mixed across subjects and grade levels. In math, proficiency holds fairly steady across all three grades, with roughly the same share of students meeting benchmarks whether in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade. The rate sits in a band that is middling for Idaho, leaving a substantial portion of students below proficiency. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school what interventions or supports are in place for students who are not yet at grade level in math.
English language arts shows more variation. Seventh grade stands out as a relative bright spot, with a clear majority of students reaching proficiency. Sixth grade sits near the midpoint, and eighth grade dips back down. That eighth-grade slide is worth noting, as it means students are entering high school with a smaller share proficient than the seventh-grade results might suggest. Science, tested only in eighth grade in Idaho, lands in a similar moderate range.
The school does not have graduation rate data, which is expected because it serves only middle school grades. The same applies to AP, dual-credit, and career-pathway measures that pertain to high schools.
Several data points are missing that a parent might want. The school's Title I status was not available. Information on English learner and special education populations was not reported in the data provided. Discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance data were also absent. Program offerings were not listed. A family considering this school would benefit from asking directly about advanced or remedial course options, extracurricular activities, and support services, since the available data does not speak to them.
What the data does say is that Post Falls Middle School is a solidly average-performing school academically, with one strong grade-level showing in seventh-grade ELA, set in a community experiencing rapid growth and change. The peer environment is largely homogeneous, and the economic mix includes a meaningful but not dominant share of students from lower-income households. For a family weighing options in the Post Falls area, the school's results suggest it is doing a workable job with most students, while leaving clear room for growth in math and in eighth-grade literacy.
See more original research from School Decision →