The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Donald J Hobbs Middle School
Donald J Hobbs Middle School sits on East Pine Street in Shelley, a small agricultural city in Bingham County a short drive south of Idaho Falls. It is the sole middle school in Shelley Joint District, serving seventh and eighth graders from the surrounding community. Shelley's identity runs deep in potato farming. The city hosts the Idaho Annual Spud Day, and the school calendar historically includes a Spud Harvest break so students can help bring in the crop. That agricultural rhythm shapes the school year here in a way few places still experience.
The enrollment is moderate for a middle school serving these two grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic presence that makes up the next largest group. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education populations was not available, so the picture of student support services is incomplete from what we have.
On state assessments, English language arts is where Hobbs Middle School shows its clearest strength. More than half of seventh graders and more than half of eighth graders scored proficient or above on the ISAT. Those are solid results for a middle school in a small-town setting. Math proficiency is lower, with roughly a third of seventh graders and somewhat fewer than half of eighth graders reaching proficiency. Science, tested only in eighth grade, was the weakest area, with fewer than a third of students scoring proficient. A parent weighing academics here would see a school where reading and writing outcomes outpace math and science by a fair margin. The math and science results are worth a closer conversation with the school, particularly whether those patterns reflect broader staffing or curriculum challenges.
No trend data across multiple years was available, so it is hard to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability. The state assessment system flagged no changes to the test or its scoring cut points that would complicate comparisons, but prior years were simply not on hand to set against the current figures. Because this school serves only seventh and eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. That is expected for this grade band and does not indicate a gap in the school's performance.
Shelley itself is a compact community. The main commercial corridor runs along State Street, and the Shelley Greenbelt, a paved trail following the Snake River, connects the area near the high school to North Bingham County Park. The city maintains several parks and holds its Spud Day festival at the city park each September. Schools are woven into the civic fabric rather than sitting on isolated campuses. Hobbs Middle School sits among the district's elementary schools and Shelley High School within the city limits. The district was building a new elementary school, signaling that the community is growing and investing in facilities. We searched for recent district-level changes that parents would want to know about and found little of lasting impact on record.
The housing market in the Shelley zip code sits below the Idaho state benchmark but above the national one, and values have been rising at a modest pace year over year. Rent data was not available for this area. For families considering a move, housing here is more affordable than much of Idaho, though mortgage rates at current levels still make ownership a real monthly commitment.
The town's character is what draws and keeps families. Shelley describes itself as offering a relaxed lifestyle in a hometown atmosphere, and the evidence backs that up. The greenbelt, the parks, the Spud Day parade featuring school bands and clubs, and the integrated school campuses all point to a place where school and community life overlap. No public library was listed in the search results for Shelley itself, and county library services appear to be accessed in nearby Blackfoot.
Hobbs Middle School is a place where ELA outcomes give a parent reason for confidence, while math and science results suggest room for growth. It sits in a tight-knit agricultural community that values its traditions and is investing in its future. Families looking for a small-town setting with a strong civic identity and a school embedded in the life of the town will find that here. Those wanting deeper data on special populations, staffing, or program offerings should ask the school directly, as those fields were not available in the data we reviewed.
See more original research from School Decision →