Can I use Gooding County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Gooding County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Gooding County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Gooding County?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 6 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Gooding County Schools & Education

Name: Gooding County, Idaho Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Gooding County, Idaho

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

8/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

78.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

78.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,664

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,288

School Score

8/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 28/100

State Score Position

#39

of 44 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Gooding County

Measured School Summary

Gooding County faces educational challenges with a school score of 8/100 and a graduation rate of 78.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,664 per pupil, Gooding County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 72% below the Idaho average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 5.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Gooding County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

12 public schools and 6 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

8/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #39 of 44 Idaho counties with school score data.

Completion

78.3%

5.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,664

$624 below the state average

School coverage

6 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Gooding County has 12 public schools across 6 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Gooding County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Gooding County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#39

of 44 Idaho counties with school score data. The county score is 20 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,244 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 2Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

WENDELL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,121 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT

Elementary school only in this slice

379 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 1

2 listed schools in this county slice.

NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY INC.

Other grade structure

191 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 4 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Gooding County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Gooding County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Gooding County, Idaho

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Multi-District Educational Landscape

Gooding County supports 12 public schools managed by six different districts, serving 3,160 students. This unique structure includes three elementary, two middle, and three high schools, along with four 'other' specialized campuses.

Diversity in District Leadership

The Gooding Joint District (1,244 students) and Wendell District (1,121 students) are the two largest providers. Families can also find one charter school, offering a specialized alternative within the county's diverse district mix.

Rural Charm with Local Hubs

Eight schools are rural while four are in town settings, reflecting the county’s agricultural roots. Gooding Elementary is the largest school with 519 students, while the average school size across the county is 263.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Gooding County

Reported Enrollment

3,160

12 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

8% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3

Middle2

High3

Other4

6 School Districts in Gooding County

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

4 schools

1,244 students

WENDELL DISTRICT

3 schools

1,121 students

HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT

2 schools

379 students

NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY INC.

1 school

191 students

BLISS JOINT DISTRICT

1 school

125 students

IDAHO BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE DEAF AND THE BL

1 school

100 students

12 Public Schools in Gooding County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Gooding County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
GOODING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	GOODING JOINT DISTRICT	GOODING, 83330Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	519
WENDELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	WENDELL DISTRICT	WENDELL, 83355Town: Remote	PK–4	Primary	458
GOODING HIGH SCHOOL	Record	GOODING JOINT DISTRICT	GOODING, 83330Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	374
HAGERMAN SCHOOL	Record	HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT	HAGERMAN, 83332Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	356
WENDELL MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	WENDELL DISTRICT	WENDELL, 83355Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	341
GOODING MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	GOODING JOINT DISTRICT	GOODING, 83330Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	323
WENDELL HIGH SCHOOL	Record	WENDELL DISTRICT	WENDELL, 83355Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	322
NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY	Record	NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY INC.	GOODING, 83330Town: Remote	KG–12	Charter	191
BLISS SCHOOL	Record	BLISS JOINT DISTRICT	BLISS, 83314Rural: Remote	PK–12	Other	125
IDAHO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND	Record	IDAHO BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE DEAF AND THE BL	GOODING, 83330Town: Remote	PK–12	Special Education	100
GOODING ALTERNATIVE LEARING CENTER	Record	GOODING JOINT DISTRICT	GOODING, 83330Town: Remote	9–12	Alternative	28
HAGERMAN VIRTUAL SCHOOL	Record	HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT	HAGERMAN, 83332Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	23

GOODING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

GOODING, 83330 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary519 students

WENDELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WENDELL DISTRICT

WENDELL, 83355 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary458 students

GOODING HIGH SCHOOL

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

GOODING, 83330 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High374 students

HAGERMAN SCHOOL

HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT

HAGERMAN, 83332 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other356 students

WENDELL MIDDLE SCHOOL

WENDELL DISTRICT

WENDELL, 83355 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle341 students

GOODING MIDDLE SCHOOL

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

GOODING, 83330 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle323 students

WENDELL HIGH SCHOOL

WENDELL DISTRICT

WENDELL, 83355 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High322 students

NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY

NORTH VALLEY ACADEMY INC.

GOODING, 83330 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–12Charter191 students

BLISS SCHOOL

BLISS JOINT DISTRICT

BLISS, 83314 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–12Other125 students

IDAHO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND

IDAHO BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR THE DEAF AND THE BL

GOODING, 83330 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–12Special Education100 students

GOODING ALTERNATIVE LEARING CENTER

GOODING JOINT DISTRICT

GOODING, 83330 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Alternative28 students

HAGERMAN VIRTUAL SCHOOL

HAGERMAN JOINT DISTRICT

HAGERMAN, 83332 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary23 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,664

State avg $6,288

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Gooding County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Idaho counties have the highest graduation rates?

Fremont County (97.0%), Teton County (97.0%), and Caribou County (92.7%) currently lead Idaho among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Idaho?

Across Idaho counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,288. The highest current county values are Blaine County ($11,244), Clark County ($10,402), and Lewis County ($8,754). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Gooding County?

Gooding County has a school score of 8/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Gooding County?

The high school graduation rate in Gooding County is 78.3%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Gooding County spend per student?

Gooding County spends $5,664 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Gooding County, Idaho — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Gooding County, Idaho?

What are the major school districts in Gooding County, Idaho?

What is the school experience like in Gooding County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Bear Lake County

Idaho

+0 pts

8/100

School score

Ada County

Idaho

-1 pts

7/100

School score

Minidoka County

Idaho

-2 pts

6/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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