The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Boistfort Elem
Boistfort Elementary sits in the rural, unincorporated community of Curtis in Lewis County, a place of very low density where about 24 people occupy a square mile. The community was built on logging and farming, and its character remains quiet and residential, with the Curtis General Store serving as the civic and commercial anchor. The school is a PK through 8 regular public school, and it is the only campus in the Boistfort School District, which means students leave after eighth grade for high school elsewhere.
The school is small, and the numbers that the state typically reports make the picture hard to read at a glance. For the 2024-25 school year, state testing results were largely suppressed for most grades, a common practice when a tested group is very small and student privacy is a concern. Only the third-grade data for both math and English language arts was reported, and it showed proficiency rates that landed below half. When results for all tested grades and subjects were combined into a single proficiency index, Boistfort placed above the midpoint among the districts in Lewis County. That is a useful anchor, but because suppression hid the performance of grades four through eight, the single year of available data offers a limited view of academic patterns. A parent may want to ask the school directly how its older students are faring on the state assessments.
About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is substantial and suggests a moderate level of economic need across the school community. In terms of background, the student body is predominantly white, with a measurable Hispanic presence and small numbers of students who identify as multiracial, Asian, or American Indian or Alaska Native.
The community itself is a factor worth weighing. Curtis is not a town with sidewalks, a downtown, or a transit system. The school and the general store sit along the same rural road corridor, and the nearest services, shopping, and employment are likely a drive away. The local economy no longer rests on the historic hops fields and logging camps that gave the area its start; no major current employers are named in available sources, and the county-level unemployment rate is a reminder of the area's economic challenges. The housing market reflects the rural setting, with home values below some surrounding areas. Curtis also experienced severe flooding during a major storm event, a history that prospective residents may want to investigate further.
On the district side, there has been a noteworthy addition. Boistfort launched an online alternative learning experience program serving grades six through twelve, which began in the 2023-24 school year. That program adds a permanent remote option for families, and it may be relevant for parents whose children will age out of the elementary campus and need a high school pathway that does not require commuting to another district. The district also undertook a significant capital construction project in the 2022-23 fiscal year, which for a small rural district represents a meaningful investment in its facilities.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism was available. Those are not gaps in performance but simply features of a school that does not serve graduating seniors. Staffing ratios, discipline data, and course access information were also absent from the available records. A parent considering Boistfort Elementary would be well served to visit, talk with the principal about how the school supports its students across the full PK-8 span, and ask about the transition to high school for the area.
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