demographics
Boise Shrinks While Its Suburbs Nearly Triple
Vallivue has grown 175% since 2002 as Boise lost 4,604 students. The Treasure Valley's suburban donut is reshaping Idaho education.
Idaho Education News & Data
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governance
Five Students, One District: Idaho's Micro-School Fragility
Three Creek enrolls 5 students. Two more districts have single digits. Idaho now has 17 districts under 100 students, the most in 25 years.
district-spotlight
Vallivue Crossed 10,000 Students While Its Neighbors Shrink
Vallivue has nearly tripled since 2002, climbing from Idaho's 20th to 6th largest district while neighbors Nampa and Caldwell shrink.
enrollment
35 Districts at Record Highs, 38 at Record Lows
Idaho's enrollment split: charter and suburban growth masks accelerating losses at the state's largest and oldest school districts.
school-choice
One Virtual School, 7,504 Students, Zero Classrooms
Idaho Home Learning Academy appeared in 2025 with 7,504 students, a $47.8M budget, and test scores trailing the state by 18 points in math.
demographics
Grade 12 Now Tops Kindergarten by 5,132 Students
Idaho's 12th grade enrollment has surged 43.7% since 2002 while kindergarten grew just 13.1%, creating a pipeline imbalance that guarantees years of further decline.
district-spotlight
Boise Has Lost 4,458 Students in Nine Years
Idaho's capital city school district has been shrinking every year since 2017, losing 17% of its enrollment as families move to suburbs and birth rates fall.
school-choice
A Single Reclassification Doubled Idaho's Charter Sector
Idaho's charter enrollment jumped 53% in a single year when a virtual school converted from traditional to charter status, masking a brick-and-mortar plateau.
enrollment
Idaho's Growth Era Is Over
After 18 years of growth adding 65,807 students, Idaho enrollment has fallen three straight years. The 2026 drop of 3,970 is the steepest on record.
district-spotlight
Nine Students Changed Idaho's Largest District
West Ada overtook Boise by 9 students in 2003. Twenty-three years later, the gap has exploded to 16,202 as suburban sprawl reshapes the Treasure Valley.
enrollment
Idaho Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
Idaho SDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing a 3,970-student decline, the steepest drop in 25 years of records.