Is Sawtooth Middle School a good school?

Sawtooth Middle School ranks 25 th of 164 Idaho middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sawtooth Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 814 students attended Sawtooth Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Sawtooth Middle School?

Students at Sawtooth Middle School are 84% White, 10% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Sawtooth Middle School attend?

Students who attend Sawtooth Middle School usually go on to attend Rocky Mountain High School

Sawtooth Middle School

Summary:

Sawtooth Middle School is a high-performing public middle school in Meridian, Idaho, serving 892 students in grades 6-8. As part of the Joint School District No. 2, which is ranked 10th out of 77 districts in the state, Sawtooth consistently outshines its peers, ranking within the top 25 middle schools in Idaho for the past several years.

Sawtooth Middle School's academic excellence is evident across the board. The school consistently outperforms the state and district averages on ISAT assessments in Math, Science, and English Language Arts, with 62.8% of students proficient or better in ISAT Math, compared to 57.5% for the district and 42.2% for the state. Sawtooth also stands out for its strong performance among student subgroups, ranking 7th out of 56 Idaho middle schools for Hispanic students and 4th out of 37 for low socioeconomic status students in ISAT Math proficiency. While the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 16.3% is still higher than the state's average, it is lower than some nearby schools, and its free and reduced-price lunch rate of 13.45% is relatively low.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Star Middle School, Eagle Middle School, and Lowell Scott Middle School, which also rank highly in the state, Sawtooth Middle School stands out for its consistently superior academic performance. However, some other schools in the Joint School District No. 2, like Crossroads Middle School and Pathways Middle School, have significantly lower academic performance and higher rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3730 North Linder Road
Meridian, ID 83646-5416

(208) 855-4200

District: Joint School District No. 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
25^th of 164 Idaho Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $6,444

Students who attend Sawtooth Middle School usually attend:

High:

Rocky Mountain High School

Feeder schools for Sawtooth Middle School:

Elementary:	Hunter Elementary School
	Willow Creek Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.6

Number of students: 814

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.2%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Two or more races:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 15.6%

See top rated Idaho middle schools

Compare Sawtooth Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sawtooth Middle School ranks better than 84.8% of middle schools in Idaho. It also ranks 5^th among 11 ranked middle schools in the Joint School District No. 2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.72. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (84.2%), Hispanic (9.8%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 15.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sawtooth Middle School is 20.6. 5 middle schools in the Joint School District No. 2 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sawtooth Middle School employs 39.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sawtooth Middle School is $6,444. 9 middle schools in the Joint School District No. 2 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sawtooth Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sawtooth Middle School 25^th of 164 Idaho public middle schools. (See Sawtooth Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Joint School District No. 2:

SchoolDigger ranks Joint School District No. 2 10^th of 77 Idaho school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Sawtooth Middle School.

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Rank History for Sawtooth Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile
2008	56.64	69^th	158	56.3%
2009	64.29	51^st	160	68.1%
2010	63.72	50^th	166	69.9%
2011	65.17	47^th	169	72.2%
2012	59.90	64^th	171	62.6%
2013	61.98	65^th	173	62.4%
2015	77.22	20^th	100	80.0%
2016	86.58	5^th	98	94.9%
2017	83.45	14^th	131	89.3%
2018	79.77	19^th	100	81.0%
2019	86.99	5^th	43	88.4%
2021	84.15	6^th	42	85.7%
2022	84.56	6^th	53	88.7%
2023	80.28	14^th	107	86.9%
2024	81.72	25^th	164	84.8%

See the entire list of Idaho Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	74.05	8^th	47	83.0%
2019	81.04	2^nd	16	87.5%
2024	80.48	4^th	37	89.2%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	74.03	12^th	60	80.0%
2019	85.13	5^th	28	82.1%
2021	75.96	6^th	24	75.0%
2022	76.95	8^th	32	75.0%
2023	77.03	10^th	51	80.4%
2024	86.27	8^th	72	88.9%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	84.97	5^th	60	91.7%
2019	91.75	3^rd	28	89.3%
2021	89.19	4^th	24	83.3%
2022	81.59	6^th	32	81.3%
2023	78.43	8^th	51	84.3%
2024	83.59	9^th	72	87.5%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	89.46	1^st	5	80.0%
2024	82.48	7^th	56	87.5%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ID State Percentile
2018	79.29	6^th	35	82.9%
2019	79.97	4^th	21	81.0%
2021	75.42	5^th	18	72.2%
2022	77.90	8^th	29	72.4%
2023	66.41	7^th	13	46.2%
2024	80.86	14^th	81	82.7%

See the entire list of Best Idaho Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Idaho Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Wednesday, July 25, 2012

I loved going to school at Sawtooth. The teachers are great and willing to be flexible with assignments. The administration is helpful and friendly, and most of all I learned a ton! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Sawtooth Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	881	19	19	45	9	n/a	n/a	973
2006	1109	30	25	63	6	n/a	n/a	1233
2007	1214	38	19	98	3	n/a	n/a	1372
2008	719	13	13	74	3	n/a	n/a	822
2009	760	12	14	48	4	n/a	n/a	838
2010	702	4	12	77	7	n/a	n/a	802
2011	780	5	8	84	7	2	38	924
2012	845	4	11	80	3	3	28	974
2013	839	10	10	83	4	3	33	982
2014	887	9	12	84	2	2	29	1025
2015	858	11	12	73	5	0	33	992
2016	874	8	13	66	3	4	27	995
2017	925	8	13	77	2	2	32	1059
2018	908	5	9	82	2	4	39	1049
2019	889	5	6	104	1	11	44	1060
2020	877	2	13	95	5	6	44	1042
2021	764	2	5	84	4	7	35	901
2022	789	5	9	87	2	2	29	923
2023	745	7	9	93	1	1	36	892
2024	685	4	9	80	1	0	35	814

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sawtooth Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	973	48.3	20.1	16.8
2006	1233	58.8	21.0	16.5
2007	1372	64.8	21.2	17.9
2008	822	41.4	19.9	20
2009	838	41.8	20.0	20.9
2010	802	42.4	18.9	25.6
2011	924	43.5	21.2	25.5
2012	974	45.9	21.1	29.3
2013	982	44.4	22.0	25.9
2014	1025	43.5	23.5	23.9
2015	992	44.0	22.5	23.1
2016	995	46.0	21.6	15.5
2017	1059	48.8	21.6	17.9
2018	1049	48.4	21.6	20
2019	1060	46.0	23.0	14.9
2020	1042	46.5	22.3	14.7
2021	901	48.1	18.7	11.1
2022	923	43.0	21.4	5.4
2023	892	40.5	21.9	13.5
2024	814	39.3	20.6	15.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sawtooth Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	973	48.3	20.1	16.8
2006	1233	58.8	21.0	16.5
2007	1372	64.8	21.2	17.9
2008	822	41.4	19.9	20
2009	838	41.8	20.0	20.9
2010	802	42.4	18.9	25.6
2011	924	43.5	21.2	25.5
2012	974	45.9	21.1	29.3
2013	982	44.4	22.0	25.9
2014	1025	43.5	23.5	23.9
2015	992	44.0	22.5	23.1
2016	995	46.0	21.6	15.5
2017	1059	48.8	21.6	17.9
2018	1049	48.4	21.6	20
2019	1060	46.0	23.0	14.9
2020	1042	46.5	22.3	14.7
2021	901	48.1	18.7	11.1
2022	923	43.0	21.4	5.4
2023	892	40.5	21.9	13.5
2024	814	39.3	20.6	15.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sawtooth Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$609 (9.5%)	$5,835 (90.5%)	$6,444

Data source: Idaho Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sawtooth Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 5^th of 43 Middle schools	Ranks 14^th of 107 Middle schools	1.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Math (Sawtooth Middle School)	59.5	62.2	2.7%
6th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	54.5	51.3	3.2%
6th Grade Math (Idaho)	43	39.4	3.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Sawtooth Middle School)	72.4	67.4	5%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	69.3	67.4	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	55.3	50	5.3%
7th Grade Math (Sawtooth Middle School)	63.7	60	3.7%
7th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	62.9	57.7	5.2%
7th Grade Math (Idaho)	45.7	41.3	4.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Sawtooth Middle School)	75.5	70.8	4.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	73.8	70.9	2.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	57.7	53.8	3.9%
8th Grade Math (Sawtooth Middle School)	63.3	45.6	17.7%
8th Grade Math (Joint School District No. 2)	57.8	49.4	8.4%
8th Grade Math (Idaho)	40.7	36.8	3.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Sawtooth Middle School)	72.1	60.6	11.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	68.1	66	2.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Idaho)	53.5	51.8	1.7%
All Grades Math (Sawtooth Middle School)	62.2	55.4	6.8%
All Grades Math (Joint School District No. 2)	58.9	57.7	1.2%
All Grades Math (Idaho)	44.4	41.5	2.9%
All Grades Science (Sawtooth Middle School)	70.5	50	20.5%
All Grades Science (Joint School District No. 2)	73.3	57.5	15.8%
All Grades Science (Idaho)	58.9	41.6	17.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Sawtooth Middle School)	73.4	66.1	7.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (Joint School District No. 2)	68	68.7	0.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Idaho)	55	52.2	2.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1060	892	15.8%
African American	5	7	40%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	6	9	50%
Hispanic	104	93	10.6%
Pacific Islander	11	1	90.9%
White	889	745	16.2%
Two or More Races	44	36	18.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	14.9%	13.5%	1.5%

Schools Near Sawtooth Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISAT Math (2024)				ISAT Science (2024)	ISAT English Language Arts (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISAT Math 6th Grade	ISAT Math 7th Grade	ISAT Math 8th Grade	ISAT Math All Grades	ISAT Science All Grades	ISAT English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISAT English Language Arts All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sawtooth Middle School	Public	6-8	3730 North Linder Road	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 855-4200	814	39	20.6	15.6%	685 (84.2%)	4 (0.5%)	80 (9.8%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.3%)	81.7	25^th of 164 public middle schools	84.8%		80.3	14^th of 107 public middle schools	86.9%	11	64.7	63.7	60.0	62.8	53.5	68.0	72.3	61.3	67.1	$6,444	$609	$5,835
Heritage Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	4990 North Meridian Road	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	No	(208) 350-4130	1,035	46	22.3	14.2%	829 (80.1%)	14 (1.4%)	115 (11.1%)	20 (1.9%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (4.8%)	88.5	16^th of 164 public middle schools	90.2%		91.6	5^th of 107 public middle schools	95.3%	11	66.3	59.8	60.1	62.0	65.1	76.6	75.8	73.2	75.2	$6,356	$609	$5,747
Meridian Middle School	Public	6-8	1507 West 8th Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 855-4225	955	52	18.3	41.7%	650 (68.1%)	21 (2.2%)	209 (21.9%)	15 (1.6%)	7 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	50 (5.2%)	51.1	65^th of 164 public middle schools	60.4%		49.8	44^th of 107 public middle schools	58.9%	21	41.9	45.3	41.1	42.9	39.5	59.1	60.8	53.2	57.9	$6,956	$801	$6,155
Pathways Middle School	Public	6-8	1870 East Heritage Park Lane	Meridian	83646	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 350-4040	128	15	8.8	36.7%	105 (82.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.1%)	44.5	74^th of 164 public middle schools	54.9%		43.9	56^th of 107 public middle schools	47.7%	18	34.2	31.3	44.7	36.9			63.2		60.3	$10,779	$837	$9,943
Crossroads Middle School	Public	6-8	650 North Nola	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(208) 855-4275	140	15	9.3	51.4%	117 (83.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (13.6%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	19.5	136^th of 164 public middle schools	17.1%		13.5	94^th of 107 public middle schools	12.1%	42			24.5	33.1	24.5	43.7			37.4	$11,165	$858	$10,307
Lowell Scott Middle School	Public	6-8	13600 West McMillan Road	Boise	83713	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4060	794	39	20.1	29.0%	605 (76.2%)	36 (4.5%)	73 (9.2%)	27 (3.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (6.2%)	80.1	26^th of 164 public middle schools	84.1%		84.6	9^th of 107 public middle schools	91.6%	17	56.1	56.2	55.8	56.0	64.6	66.4	70.1	69.4	68.6	$7,081	$609	$6,472
Victory Middle School	Public	6-8	920 West Kodiak Drive	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4443	1,057	44	24.0	15.9%	829 (78.4%)	14 (1.3%)	108 (10.2%)	47 (4.4%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	52 (4.9%)	89.5	14^th of 164 public middle schools	91.5%		93.3	3^rd of 107 public middle schools	97.2%	11	61.2	68.0	57.0	62.1	62.0	75.5	83.0	75.7	78.1	$6,561	$609	$5,952
Lewis & Clark Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	4141 East Pine Street	Meridian	83642	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	Yes	No	No	(208) 350-4270	858	40	21.2	32.5%	580 (67.6%)	29 (3.4%)	150 (17.5%)	38 (4.4%)	3 (0.3%)	9 (1.0%)	49 (5.7%)	60.4	50^th of 164 public middle schools	69.5%		70.7	22^nd of 107 public middle schools	79.4%	28	43.4	43.0	45.9	44.1	54.0	62.1	62.6	60.9	61.9	$6,819	$655	$6,164
Eagle Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 West Floating Feather	Eagle	83616	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 939-2216	843	37	22.8	12.6%	676 (80.2%)	8 (0.9%)	101 (12.0%)	12 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.4%)	41 (4.9%)	92.7	11^th of 164 public middle schools	93.3%		92.6	4^th of 107 public middle schools	96.3%	7	66.3	66.7	71.5	68.2	70.3	70.9	83.7	79.6	78.3	$6,822	$609	$6,213
Star Middle School	Public	6-8	2211 North Pollard Lane	Star	83669	Ada County	Joint School District No. 2	No	No	No	No	(208) 350-4471	943	42	22.3	13.1%	761 (80.7%)	9 (1.0%)	111 (11.8%)	14 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (4.9%)	88.1	17^th of 164 public middle schools	89.6%		89.1	7^th of 107 public middle schools	93.5%	10	55.1	66.3	62.7	61.7	64.3	71.2	79.5	76.2	75.9	$7,417	$609	$6,808

Sawtooth Middle School

Sawtooth Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Joint School District No. 2:

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for all students at Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sawtooth Middle School

Rank History for White students at Sawtooth Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Sawtooth Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sawtooth Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Sawtooth Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sawtooth Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Sawtooth Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sawtooth Middle School

Frequently Asked Questions about Sawtooth Middle School

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