While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. As states decide whether their school districts will have in-person learning this fall, studies show that low-income students will suffer the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor is that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $460 - $1,154 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
Idaho has the 14th least equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 113 districts in Idaho based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil. Read on for the district ranking and a complete description of our methodology.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in Idaho
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soda Springs Joint School District 150 | 0.54 | $8,073 | $61,031 |
| 2 | Lewiston Independent School District 340 | 0.97 | $9,422 | $54,811 |
| 3 | Lakeland School District 272 | 1.42 | $8,211 | $59,404 |
| 4 | Boise Independent School District 1 | 1.47 | $9,306 | $55,614 |
| 5 | Dietrich School District 314 | 1.89 | $10,220 | $49,583 |
| 6 | Grace School District 148 | 2.31 | $8,612 | $57,045 |
| 7 | West Jefferson School District 253 | 3.04 | $9,714 | $51,429 |
| 8 | West Ada School District 2 | 3.43 | $6,632 | $69,345 |
| 9 | Hansen School District 415 | 3.64 | $10,792 | $49,602 |
| 10 | Horseshoe Bend School District 73 | 4.24 | $10,699 | $50,341 |
| 11 | Meadows Valley School District 11 | 4.74 | $11,045 | $48,938 |
| 12 | Snake River School District 52 | 5.92 | $7,418 | $60,951 |
| 13 | Orofino Joint School District 171 | 7.74 | $12,614 | $42,941 |
| 14 | Lake Pend Oreille School District 84 | 9.45 | $9,051 | $51,408 |
| 15 | Wallace School District 393 | 9.62 | $11,250 | $40,833 |
| 16 | American Falls School District 381 | 10.16 | $9,375 | $49,510 |
| 17 | Kuna Joint School District 3 | 10.52 | $6,996 | $71,125 |
| 18 | Bonneville Joint School District 93 | 11.00 | $6,717 | $61,774 |
| 19 | Mackay Joint School District 182 | 11.15 | $8,826 | $51,638 |
| 20 | Midvale School District 433 | 11.40 | $13,000 | $42,917 |
| 21 | West Bonner County School District 83 | 11.50 | $10,620 | $42,904 |
| 22 | Notus School District 135 | 11.99 | $9,298 | $48,967 |
| 23 | Castleford School District 417 | 12.34 | $9,650 | $47,115 |
| 24 | Potlatch School District 285 | 12.94 | $11,428 | $51,181 |
| 25 | St. Marie's Joint School District 41 | 13.67 | $9,257 | $48,328 |
| 26 | Murtaugh Joint School District 418 | 14.44 | $8,246 | $52,772 |
| 27 | Mccall-Donnelley Joint School District 421 | 14.66 | $10,971 | $54,215 |
| 28 | Kimberly School District 414 | 15.08 | $6,561 | $60,495 |
| 29 | Bliss School District 234 | 15.26 | $13,563 | $42,150 |
| 30 | Camas County School District 121 | 15.45 | $14,370 | $38,393 |
| 31 | Richfield School District 316 | 16.85 | $11,978 | $50,500 |
| 32 | Coeur D'Alene School District 271 | 17.00 | $7,741 | $53,912 |
| 33 | Fremont County Joint School District 215 | 17.24 | $8,013 | $52,493 |
| 34 | Moscow School District 281 | 17.86 | $10,314 | $41,207 |
| 35 | Ririe Joint School District 252 | 18.02 | $7,622 | $53,971 |
| 36 | Cottonwood Joint School District 242 | 18.26 | $10,495 | $58,274 |
| 37 | West Side Joint School District 202 | 18.70 | $6,617 | $58,427 |
| 38 | Garden Valley School District 71 | 18.81 | $11,914 | $51,776 |
| 39 | Middleton School District 134 | 19.65 | $6,656 | $57,771 |
| 40 | Basin School District 72 | 20.66 | $9,669 | $63,406 |
| 41 | Bear Lake School District 33 | 20.90 | $7,395 | $53,627 |
| 42 | Teton County School District 401 | 21.55 | $8,627 | $68,818 |
| 43 | Marsh Valley Joint School District 21 | 21.79 | $6,749 | $56,267 |
| 44 | Kellogg Joint School District 391 | 22.10 | $10,113 | $40,060 |
| 45 | Jefferson County Joint School District 251 | 22.13 | $5,764 | $60,794 |
| 46 | Shoshone Joint School District 312 | 22.66 | $8,627 | $46,875 |
| 47 | Preston Joint School District 201 | 22.99 | $6,644 | $56,172 |
| 48 | Minidoka County Joint School District 331 | 23.20 | $7,525 | $51,862 |
| 49 | Payette School District 371 | 23.56 | $7,616 | $51,250 |
| 50 | Firth School District 59 | 24.07 | $6,813 | $54,827 |
| 51 | Parma School District 137 | 24.18 | $7,813 | $50,000 |
| 52 | Vallivue School District 139 | 24.65 | $7,163 | $52,869 |
| 53 | Twin Falls School District 411 | 25.30 | $7,580 | $50,558 |
| 54 | Valley School District 262 | 25.50 | $8,457 | $46,276 |
| 55 | Shelley School District 60 | 25.77 | $6,151 | $57,144 |
| 56 | Post Falls School District 273 | 25.80 | $7,112 | $52,543 |
| 57 | Bruneau-Grand View Joint School District 365 | 25.83 | $13,887 | $45,849 |
| 58 | Marsing Joint School District 363 | 26.04 | $8,219 | $47,143 |
| 59 | Mountain View School District 244 | 26.98 | $10,205 | $37,198 |
| 60 | New Plymouth School District 372 | 28.30 | $7,507 | $49,419 |
| 61 | Aberdeen School District 58 | 28.84 | $8,470 | $44,554 |
| 62 | Idaho Falls School District 91 | 28.95 | $6,824 | $52,353 |
| 63 | Gooding Joint School District 231 | 29.82 | $7,194 | $50,156 |
| 64 | Wendell School District 232 | 29.85 | $6,991 | $51,108 |
| 65 | Clark County School District 161 | 30.03 | $16,526 | $35,341 |
| 66 | Council School District 13 | 30.08 | $9,110 | $40,885 |
| 67 | Cassia County Joint School District 151 | 30.18 | $7,111 | $50,372 |
| 68 | Challis Joint School District 181 | 30.22 | $10,771 | $32,891 |
| 69 | Kamiah Joint School District 304 | 30.38 | $10,179 | $35,636 |
| 70 | Blackfoot School District 55 | 30.81 | $7,500 | $48,205 |
| 71 | Filer School District 413 | 30.81 | $7,158 | $49,834 |
| 72 | Hagerman Joint School District 233 | 30.83 | $8,902 | $41,506 |
| 73 | Boundary County School District 101 | 31.76 | $8,386 | $43,507 |
| 74 | Kendrick Joint School District 283 | 31.86 | $12,891 | $53,594 |
| 75 | North Gem School District 149 | 32.37 | $11,929 | $58,438 |
| 76 | Whitepine Joint School District 288 | 32.57 | $13,602 | $50,556 |
| 77 | Highland Joint School District 305 | 33.07 | $14,542 | $46,316 |
| 78 | Nampa School District 131 | 33.84 | $7,260 | $47,845 |
| 79 | Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25 | 34.31 | $6,925 | $49,208 |
| 80 | Emmett Independent School District 221 | 34.44 | $8,213 | $43,001 |
| 81 | Butte County Joint School District 111 | 35.14 | $8,573 | $40,938 |
| 82 | Wilder School District 133 | 35.55 | $8,411 | $41,506 |
| 83 | Mountain Home School District 193 | 35.63 | $7,131 | $47,572 |
| 84 | Jerome Joint School District 261 | 36.53 | $6,555 | $49,875 |
| 85 | Rockland School District 382 | 37.14 | $12,543 | $57,875 |
| 86 | Buhl Joint School District 412 | 38.72 | $7,320 | $45,138 |
| 87 | Troy School District 287 | 38.92 | $12,077 | $60,982 |
| 88 | Glenns Ferry School District 192 | 39.25 | $8,972 | $36,991 |
| 89 | Fruitland School District 373 | 39.29 | $6,368 | $49,395 |
| 90 | Sugar-Salem Joint School District 322 | 40.28 | $6,372 | $48,884 |
| 91 | Melba Joint School District 136 | 40.66 | $6,735 | $46,964 |
| 92 | Oneida County School District 351 | 41.09 | $5,832 | $51,058 |
| 93 | Salmon School District 291 | 42.48 | $8,565 | $37,330 |
| 94 | Cascade School District 422 | 43.96 | $13,289 | $57,700 |
| 95 | Plummer Worley Joint School District 44 | 44.48 | $15,440 | $47,699 |
| 96 | Caldwell School District 132 | 44.78 | $7,567 | $40,949 |
| 97 | Cambridge Joint School District 432 | 46.75 | $16,373 | $44,375 |
| 98 | Nez Perce Joint School District 302 | 50.38 | $15,637 | $49,688 |
| 99 | Blaine County School District 61 | 52.79 | $15,410 | $51,968 |
| 100 | Homedale Joint School District 370 | 54.22 | $6,842 | $39,725 |
| 101 | Salmon River Joint School District 243 | 55.70 | $19,250 | $35,089 |
| 102 | South Lemhi School District 292 | 56.37 | $16,133 | $50,294 |
| 103 | Weiser School District 431 | 56.50 | $7,389 | $35,980 |
| 104 | Lapwai School District 341 | 57.46 | $15,659 | $53,098 |
| 105 | Culdesac Joint School District 342 | 60.88 | $17,646 | $45,313 |
| 106 | Genesee Joint School District 282 | 61.34 | $13,025 | $67,589 |
| 107 | Madison School District 321 | 66.21 | $6,692 | $34,487 |
| 108 | Arbon School District 383 | 75.70 | $17,944 | $51,250 |
| 109 | Mullan School District 392 | 86.92 | $21,136 | $41,591 |
| 110 | Kootenai School District 274 | 109.03 | $18,815 | $63,641 |
| 111 | Swan Valley Elementary District 92 | 111.16 | $20,725 | $55,583 |
| 112 | Three Creek Joint Elementary School District 416 | 128.44 | $28,571 | $26,731 |
| 113 | Prairie Elementary School District 191 | 294.53 | $43,333 | $38,750 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,919 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.