Bigfork High School

Public school district · Flathead County · Montana · NCES district ID 3003840

Bigfork High School spent $12,895 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 78% of the other Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $16,778). Its one school enrolled 333 students in 2024-25; 31.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,352 per student, up 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (Montana: 85.5%).

Spending per student among Montana districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Bigfork High School in enrollment (328 to 371 students) and Bigfork High School itself.

Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bigfork High School, FY23Colstrip School District 19 $19,131; Beaverhead County High School $16,794; Stevensville High School $16,573; Plentywood Schools $14,367; Fergus High School $14,051; Conrad Public Schools $13,892; Bonner Elementary $13,657; Dawson County High School $13,329; Bigfork High School $12,895; Red Lodge Elementary $12,104; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.10k12.5k15k17.5k20kColstrip School District 19$19,131Beaverhead County High School$16,794Stevensville High School$16,573Plentywood Schools$14,367Fergus High School$14,051Conrad Public Schools$13,892Bonner Elementary$13,657Dawson County High School$13,329Bigfork High School$12,895Red Lodge Elementary$12,104State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bigfork High School, FY23Colstrip School District 19 $19,131; Beaverhead County High School $16,794; Stevensville High School $16,573; Plentywood Schools $14,367; Fergus High School $14,051; Conrad Public Schools $13,892; Bonner Elementary $13,657; Dawson County High School $13,329; Bigfork High School $12,895; Red Lodge Elementary $12,104; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.10k12.5k15k17.5k20kColstrip School District 19$19,131Beaverhead County High School$16,794Stevensville High School$16,573Plentywood Schools$14,367Fergus High School$14,051Conrad Public Schools$13,892Bonner Elementary$13,657Dawson County High School$13,329Bigfork High School$12,895Red Lodge Elementary$12,104State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bigfork High School, FY23Colstrip School District 19 $19,131; Beaverhead County High School $16,794; Stevensville High School $16,573; Plentywood Schools $14,367; Fergus High School $14,051; Conrad Public Schools $13,892; Bonner Elementary $13,657; Dawson County High School $13,329; Bigfork High School $12,895; Red Lodge Elementary $12,104; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.10k15k20kColstrip School District 19$19,131Beaverhead County High School$16,794Stevensville High School$16,573Plentywood Schools$14,367Fergus High School$14,051Conrad Public Schools$13,892Bonner Elementary$13,657Dawson County High School$13,329Bigfork High School$12,895Red Lodge Elementary$12,104State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bigfork High School, FY23Colstrip School District 19 $19,131; Beaverhead County High School $16,794; Stevensville High School $16,573; Plentywood Schools $14,367; Fergus High School $14,051; Conrad Public Schools $13,892; Bonner Elementary $13,657; Dawson County High School $13,329; Bigfork High School $12,895; Red Lodge Elementary $12,104; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.10k15k20kColstrip School District 19$19,131Beaverhead County High School$16,794Stevensville High School$16,573Plentywood Schools$14,367Fergus High School$14,051Conrad Public Schools$13,892Bonner Elementary$13,657Dawson County High School$13,329Bigfork High School$12,895Red Lodge Elementary$12,104State median, under 1,000 students $16,778

Where the money came from

$6,692,000 in revenue: 31.5% state, 60.2% local and 8.4% federal. Total spending including $526,000 of capital outlay was $5,782,000, or $16,333 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Bigfork High School revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $2,106,000; Local $4,026,000; Federal $560,000; total $6,692,000.
  • State$2,106,000 31%
  • Local$4,026,000 60%
  • Federal$560,000 8%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 361 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

354 students in 2022-23, 352 students in 2023-24, 333 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Bigfork High School enrollment by school year2022-23: 354, 2023-24: 352, 2024-25: 33301002003004002022-233542023-243522024-25333
Bigfork High School enrollment by school year2022-23: 354, 2023-24: 352, 2024-25: 33301002003004002022-233542023-243522024-25333
Bigfork High School enrollment by school year2022-23: 354, 2023-24: 352, 2024-25: 33301002003004002022-233542023-243522024-25333
Bigfork High School enrollment by school year2022-23: 354, 2023-24: 352, 2024-25: 33301002003004002022-233542023-243522024-25333

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2335422.415.8
2023-2435222.915.4
2024-2533324.113.8

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$1,333,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,766 per student

Bigfork High School booked $1,333,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 22 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $59,615 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 69 in 100 Montana districts with a figure (state median $53,321, 282 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$998,00074.9%
Special education$114,0008.6%
Vocational$221,00016.6%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,464 in 2018-19, $3,280 in 2019-20, $4,206 in 2020-21, $3,691 in 2021-22, $3,766 in 2022-23.

Bigfork High School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,464, 2019-20: $3,280, 2020-21: $4,206, 2021-22: $3,691, 2022-23: $3,76602k4k6k2018-19$3,4642019-20$3,2802020-21$4,2062021-22$3,6912022-23$3,766
Bigfork High School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,464, 2019-20: $3,280, 2020-21: $4,206, 2021-22: $3,691, 2022-23: $3,76602k4k6k2018-19$3,4642019-20$3,2802020-21$4,2062021-22$3,6912022-23$3,766
Bigfork High School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,464, 2019-20: $3,280, 2020-21: $4,206, 2021-22: $3,691, 2022-23: $3,76602k4k6k2018-19$3,4642019-20$3,2802020-21$4,2062021-22$3,6912022-23$3,766
Bigfork High School teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,464, 2019-20: $3,280, 2020-21: $4,206, 2021-22: $3,691, 2022-23: $3,76602k4k6k2018-19$3,4642019-20$3,2802020-21$4,2062021-22$3,6912022-23$3,766

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Bigfork High School scored proficient or above: 50-54% in reading and 25-29% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Montana, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMontanaStudents tested
Reading and language arts50-54%45.7%76
Math25-29%35.2%77

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

90-94% of the 78 students in Bigfork High School's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.5% across Montana. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMontana
Four-year graduation rate90‑94%85.5%
Students in the class7810,838

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 high school, 333 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Bigfork High School33313.818.0%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Bigfork High School

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Bigfork High School

  1. Montana districts by spending per studentBigfork High School ranks 283 of 361 Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,895).#283 of 361
  2. Every school district in MontanaBigfork High School is the number 90 by size of 398 Montana districts, with 354 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#90 of 398
  3. Bonner ElementaryThe next larger Montana district: 356 students in fall 2022, $13,657 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,657
  4. Stevensville High SchoolThe next smaller Montana district: 349 students in fall 2022, $16,573 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,573
  5. Compare Bigfork High School with Bonner ElementaryEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Bigfork High School, its largest high school333 students in 2024-25, 13.8 per teacher.333
  7. Teacher salary spending across MontanaBigfork High School spent $59,615 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$59,615
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Bigfork High School

  1. How many schools and students are in Bigfork High School?
    One school was open in 2024-25 (1 high), enrolling 333 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Bigfork High School spend per student?
    $12,895 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Montana median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,778 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,352 per student, up 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Bigfork High School's money come from?
    $6,692,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 31.5% state, 60.2% local and 8.4% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Bigfork High School live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 26 of the 436 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 6.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Bigfork High School spend on teacher salaries?
    $1,333,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,766 per student. Divided by the 22 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $59,615 per teacher, more than 69 in 100 Montana districts (state median $53,321). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Bigfork High School do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Bigfork High School scored proficient or above: 50-54% in reading and 25-29% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Montana's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Bigfork High School?
    90-94% of the 78 students in Bigfork High School's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.5% across Montana. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Bigfork High School's NCES district ID?
    3003840. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25