Wendell School District

Wendell School District
Location
Wendell
Idaho
United States
District information
TypePublic
GradesPre K-12
Established1909
SuperintendentRyan Bowman
Schools3
Budget$10.5 million in the general fund
Students and staff
Students1100
Other information
Websitewww.sd232.k12.id.us

Wendell School District 232 is a school district headquartered in Wendell, Idaho. It includes a section of Gooding County.[1] It covers approximately 115 square miles of agricultural land in southern Idaho. The district operates three schools serving around 1,100 students in pre-k through twelfth grade.

History

The first school in Wendell was named the Rhodes School and built on land donated by Ambrose Rhodes in the 1880s, the same site as Wendell's current magnet school on Wendell Boulevard. As the school grew, it changed its name to Wendell Academy in 1891.[2] Several schools in the area consolidated to form the Wendell School District in 1909.[3]

Leadership

Lawrence LaRue had been both superintendent and the high school principal. In 1980 he resigned both as superintendent and as principal.[4] Glen Gilbertson became superintendent in 1980, at the same time as two principals of the elementary and high schools.[5] Greg Lowe served as superintendent for fourteen years before announcing his retirement in October 2017. As of May 2026, the current superintendent is Ryan Bowman.[6]

In 2005, Rob Sauer, principal of Wendell Middle School, received the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, presented by Idaho State Superintendent Marilyn Howard.[7]

Academics

In 2013, Wendell School District implemented a four-day school week.[8] Superintendent Greg Lowe cited state budget cuts and the potential to reduce transportation and utility costs as the primary motivations, while also noting benefits for student attendance. Fridays are used for teacher development programs and enrichment activities.[9]

Student performance on Idaho's standardized assessments falls below state averages. As of spring 2024, approximately 38% of students in kindergarten through third grade were reading at grade level, compared to a statewide average of roughly 84% in similarly-sized neighboring districts.[10] District-wide, approximately 40% of students test at or above proficiency in reading and 28% in math, compared to statewide averages of 55% and 42% respectively.[11]

Demographics

Enrollment grew from 1,056 in 2021 to 1,104 in 2024.[11]

As of 2020, nearly 70% of students in Wendell School District are of Latino or Hispanic heritage.[12] The district serves approximately 1,100 students. 74% of whom are from low-income families, and 37% of whom are learning English. About 11% have disabilities and 11% are from migrant families.[13][11]

Schools

References

  1. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Gooding County, ID" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2024. - Text list
  2. ↑ "Wendell History". Wendell Historical Society. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  3. ↑ History Book Committee (Gooding County, Idaho), ed. (2004). Gooding County roots and branches, 1989. Salem, MA: Reprinted for Gooding County Historical Society by Higginson Book Co. ISBN 978-0-7404-4376-3. OCLC 404243375.
  4. ↑ "Wendell accepts resignation, boiler bids". Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. May 14, 1980. p. B-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Hammond, Bruce (August 14, 1980). "Wendell Administration". Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. p. C-8 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ TIMES-NEWS, DREW NASH (December 11, 2024). "Bowman in as new superintendent at Wendell School District". The Times-News. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Milken Educator Rob Sauer (ID '05)". Milken Educator Awards. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ Dunlap, Tetona (August 21, 2013). "Wendell School District Goes to Four-day School Week". The Times-News. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  9. ↑ Richert, Kevin (December 16, 2015). "What Do the Numbers Say About Four-Day School Weeks?". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Districts getting the most literacy money tend to have the best reading scores". Idaho Education News. May 7, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 "Idaho Report Card". Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Cooper, Brittany (January 31, 2020). "Latinos in Action aims to create trusting leaders in school". KMVT News. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Districts getting the most literacy money tend to have the best reading scores". Idaho Education News. May 7, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.