Butte County Joint District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Arco, Idaho - 3 schools

An equity score of 72/100 ranks Butte County Joint District #17 of 139 districts in Idaho (state average 48). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,473 per pupil, Butte County Joint District ranks #63 of 171 Idaho districts by per-pupil spending (Idaho districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

414
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$11,473
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Butte County Joint District operates 3 public schools serving 414 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Idaho. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Butte County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,473 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 171 Idaho districts by per-pupil spending. See how Idaho compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 13.4% local, 68.0% state, and 18.6% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #17 of 139 in Idaho against a state average of 48, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 125.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, . Demographically, the student body averages 83.8% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Howe Elementary School, with a diversity index of 37.5/100.

Its largest campus is Butte County Middle/High School, enrolling 186 students (49% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Howe Elementary School, at 4 students, a 47x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Butte County Middle/High School accounts for 44.9% of all Butte County Joint District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Butte County Joint District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Butte County Joint District school enrollment varies 47× across entities

Butte County Joint District school enrollment ranges from 4 students (lowest) to 186 students (highest), a spread of 182 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Butte County Joint District student-counselor ratio is 125:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Where does the funding come from?

18.6%
Federal
68.0%
State
13.4%
Local

Funding Equity

72
Equity Score
17 / 139
State Rank
48
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Butte County Joint District.

White 83.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Multiracial 0.9%
Other 8.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 26.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Butte County Joint District's schools, below the Idaho average of 36.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Howe Elementary School 37.5
  2. 2 Arco Elementary School 22.8
  3. 3 Butte County Middle/High School 19.8

Programs & Resources

125.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Butte County Joint District

School Enrollment
Arco Elementary School
186
Butte County Middle/High School
186
Howe Elementary School
4

How Butte County Joint District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Idaho districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mosaics Public School Inc. Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Future Public School Inc. Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Murtaugh Joint District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Forge International Llc Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Liberty Charter School Inc. Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Butte County Joint District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Idaho

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Joint School District No. 2
39,496 students · 61 schools · $8,438/pupil
Compare vs Butte County Joint District →
Boise Independent District
22,809 students · 51 schools · $12,278/pupil
Compare vs Butte County Joint District →
Bonneville Joint District
13,778 students · 26 schools · $8,318/pupil
Compare vs Butte County Joint District →
Nampa School District
13,398 students · 25 schools · $10,958/pupil
Compare vs Butte County Joint District →
Pocatello District
12,259 students · 25 schools · $8,862/pupil
Compare vs Butte County Joint District →

Compare Butte County Joint District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Joint School District No. 2 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Butte County Joint District?

Butte County Joint District has 3 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 414 students.

How much does Butte County Joint District spend per student?

Butte County Joint District spends $11,473 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #17 in Idaho.

What is the demographic composition of Butte County Joint District?

Butte County Joint District students are 83.8% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Butte County Joint District?

Butte County Joint District has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #17 out of 139 districts in Idaho.