Schools in Southern Idaho earn extra credit for providing excellent academic opportunities for students of all ages. Here are some of the top academic options throughout the Magic Valley.

HIGHER EDUCATION

The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) main campus is in Twin Falls, and it has off-campus centers in Burley, Gooding, Hailey and Jerome. CSI enrolls approximately 7,000 students and offers more than 100 course disciplines. Additional upper-division courses are offered through CSI at the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Boise State University.

Boise State University

The research university in the state's capital city has an enrollment of nearly 20,000 students. It offers almost 200 fields of study ranging from associate certifications to doctoral programs. Boise State is organized into seven colleges: arts and sciences, business and economics, education, engineering, graduate studies, health sciences, and social sciences and public affairs.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Twin Falls School District

This district serves 7,400 students and has seven elementary schools, two middle schools, one alternative middle school, two high schools and one alternative high school. The Twin Falls School District has a staff of approximately 950, making it one of the largest employers in Southern Idaho.

Jerome School District

More than 3,500 students are enrolled in the Jerome School District. Horizon and Jefferson elementary schools accommodate grades K-3; Summit Elementary is for grades 4-5; Jerome Middle features grades 6-8; and Jerome High School has grades 9-12.

Minidoka County School District

MCSD is home to Acequia, Heyburn, Paul and Rupert elementary schools; East Minico and West Minico middle schools; Minico High School; and Mt. Harrison Jr./Sr. High School.

Cassia County School District

The district is home to Burley, Declo, Oakley and Raft River high schools, and Burley and Declo junior high schools. The elementary schools in the CCSD are Albion, Almo, Declo, Dworshak, Mountain View, Oakley, Raft River and White Pine. There is also Cassia Alternative High, Cassia Tech Center and Newcomer Center Preschool.

Blaine County School District

This school district features eight schools, including one – Carey School – that accommodates K-12 students. The other public schools in BCSD are Bellevue Elementary, Ernest Hemingway Elementary, Hailey Elementary, Woodside Elementary, Wood River Middle School, Silver Creek High School and Wood River High School.

Idaho Digital Learning Academy

IDLA is a state-sponsored and accredited online school created by the Idaho State Legislature to provide greater education access for Idaho students in grades 7-12. The school addresses the educational needs of all traditional, home-schooled, at-risk and gifted learners in Idaho.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Southern Idaho has an impressive list of private schools for parents to consider. They include Lighthouse Christian School (K-12) in Twin Falls, Magic Valley Christian School (grades 7-12) in Jerome, St. Edward's Catholic School (pre K-6) in Twin Falls, Twin Falls Christian Academy (pre K-12) and Xavier Charter School (K-12) in Twin Falls.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Students also may attend one of the region's three charter schools, which are tuition-free public schools funded by the state but not supported by local tax revenues. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools focus on a specific curriculum. These schools are: Xavier Charter School in Twin Falls, which teaches all subjects to all grades, with a special emphasis on literature and a focus on fine arts; Wings Charter Middle School, also in Twin Falls, which provides an enviroment to best teach middle school students with learning differences; and Heritage Academy Charter School in Jerome, which opened for the 2011 school year to serve students from kindergarten through sixth grade with a curriculum focused on developing critical thinking skills.