5 public K-12 schools in Shelby from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
5 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Shelby's 5 public schools is Shelby Elementary School, scoring 32/100, against a city average of 34.6/100. Computed live across every Shelby campus reporting to NCES.
How the Shelby Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Shelby, MT enrolls 556 students across 5 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 17:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 34.6/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Shelby on this index is Shelby Elementary School, at 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 262 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Shelby spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Shelby Elementary School accounts for 47.1% of all Shelby public-school enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Shelby a distant remainder — means Shelby-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Shelby school enrollment varies 19× across entities
Shelby school enrollment ranges from 14 students (lowest) to 262 students (highest), a spread of 248 students. That spread reflects typical urban portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Shelby student-teacher ratio is 17.0:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — aligned with the U.S. average of approximately 15.7:1
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Shelby is typically wider than the Shelby-aggregate figure suggests.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Shelby
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Shelby is Shelby Elementary School with a quality score of 32/100. There are 5 public schools in Shelby with 556 total students.
How many schools are in Shelby, MT? ▼
Shelby has 5 public schools with a total enrollment of 556 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 17:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
