Bridger K-12 Schools

Public school district · Carbon County · Montana · NCES district ID 3004800

Bridger K-12 Schools spent $19,357 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 61% of the other Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,778). Its 3 schools enrolled 203 students in 2024-25; 31.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,462 per student, up 0.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 50% or more (Montana: 85.5%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Montana districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Bridger K-12 Schools in enrollment (191 to 208 students) and Bridger K-12 Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bridger K-12 Schools, FY23Heart Butte K-12 Schools $29,918; Bridger K-12 Schools $19,357; Big Sandy K-12 $17,299; Thompson Falls High School $14,373; Forsyth Elementary $14,223; Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary $13,323; Fairfield Elementary $11,850; Kila Elementary $9,885; Swan River Elementary $8,471; Deer Park Elementary $7,849; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.010k20k30k40kHeart Butte K-12 Schools$29,918Bridger K-12 Schools$19,357Big Sandy K-12$17,299Thompson Falls High School$14,373Forsyth Elementary$14,223Chester-Joplin-Inverness Eleme…$13,323Fairfield Elementary$11,850Kila Elementary$9,885Swan River Elementary$8,471Deer Park Elementary$7,849State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bridger K-12 Schools, FY23Heart Butte K-12 Schools $29,918; Bridger K-12 Schools $19,357; Big Sandy K-12 $17,299; Thompson Falls High School $14,373; Forsyth Elementary $14,223; Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary $13,323; Fairfield Elementary $11,850; Kila Elementary $9,885; Swan River Elementary $8,471; Deer Park Elementary $7,849; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.010k20k30k40kHeart Butte K-12 Schools$29,918Bridger K-12 Schools$19,357Big Sandy K-12$17,299Thompson Falls High School$14,373Forsyth Elementary$14,223Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary$13,323Fairfield Elementary$11,850Kila Elementary$9,885Swan River Elementary$8,471Deer Park Elementary$7,849State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bridger K-12 Schools, FY23Heart Butte K-12 Schools $29,918; Bridger K-12 Schools $19,357; Big Sandy K-12 $17,299; Thompson Falls High School $14,373; Forsyth Elementary $14,223; Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary $13,323; Fairfield Elementary $11,850; Kila Elementary $9,885; Swan River Elementary $8,471; Deer Park Elementary $7,849; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.020k40kHeart Butte K-12 Schools$29,918Bridger K-12 Schools$19,357Big Sandy K-12$17,299Thompson Falls High School$14,373Forsyth Elementary$14,223Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary$13,323Fairfield Elementary$11,850Kila Elementary$9,885Swan River Elementary$8,471Deer Park Elementary$7,849State median, under 1,000 students $16,778
Current spending per student, Montana districts closest in size to Bridger K-12 Schools, FY23Heart Butte K-12 Schools $29,918; Bridger K-12 Schools $19,357; Big Sandy K-12 $17,299; Thompson Falls High School $14,373; Forsyth Elementary $14,223; Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary $13,323; Fairfield Elementary $11,850; Kila Elementary $9,885; Swan River Elementary $8,471; Deer Park Elementary $7,849; State median, under 1,000 students $16,778.020k40kHeart Butte K-12 Schools$29,918Bridger K-12 Schools$19,357Big Sandy K-12$17,299Thompson Falls High School$14,373Forsyth Elementary$14,223Chester-Joplin-Inverness Elementary$13,323Fairfield Elementary$11,850Kila Elementary$9,885Swan River Elementary$8,471Deer Park Elementary$7,849State median, under 1,000 students $16,778

Where the money came from

$4,431,000 in revenue: 31.6% state, 58.5% local and 9.8% federal. Total spending including $307,000 of capital outlay was $4,441,000, or $22,317 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Bridger K-12 Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $1,402,000; Local $2,594,000; Federal $435,000; total $4,431,000.
  • State$1,402,000 32%
  • Local$2,594,000 59%
  • Federal$435,000 10%

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 rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

199 students in 2022-23, 210 students in 2023-24, 203 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Bridger K-12 Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 199, 2023-24: 210, 2024-25: 20301002003002022-231992023-242102024-25203
Bridger K-12 Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 199, 2023-24: 210, 2024-25: 20301002003002022-231992023-242102024-25203
Bridger K-12 Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 199, 2023-24: 210, 2024-25: 20301002003002022-231992023-242102024-25203
Bridger K-12 Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 199, 2023-24: 210, 2024-25: 20301002003002022-231992023-242102024-25203

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2319920.59.7
2023-2421020.510.2
2024-2520320.210.1

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

$1,397,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $7,020 per student

Bridger K-12 Schools booked $1,397,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 20 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 $68,180 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 87 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$1,158,00082.9%
Special education$66,0004.7%
Vocational$173,00012.4%

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

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,661 in 2018-19, $6,560 in 2019-20, $7,055 in 2020-21, $7,450 in 2021-22, $7,020 in 2022-23.

Bridger K-12 Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,661, 2019-20: $6,560, 2020-21: $7,055, 2021-22: $7,450, 2022-23: $7,02002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,6612019-20$6,5602020-21$7,0552021-22$7,4502022-23$7,020
Bridger K-12 Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,661, 2019-20: $6,560, 2020-21: $7,055, 2021-22: $7,450, 2022-23: $7,02002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,6612019-20$6,5602020-21$7,0552021-22$7,4502022-23$7,020
Bridger K-12 Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,661, 2019-20: $6,560, 2020-21: $7,055, 2021-22: $7,450, 2022-23: $7,02002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,6612019-20$6,5602020-21$7,0552021-22$7,4502022-23$7,020
Bridger K-12 Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $6,661, 2019-20: $6,560, 2020-21: $7,055, 2021-22: $7,450, 2022-23: $7,02002k4k6k8k2018-19$6,6612019-20$6,5602020-21$7,0552021-22$7,4502022-23$7,020

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 Bridger K-12 Schools scored proficient or above: 40-44% 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 arts40-44%45.7%98
Math25-29%35.2%98

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

50% or more of the 12 students in Bridger K-12 Schools' 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 rate50% or more85.5%
Students in the class1210,838

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 elementary school, 114 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Bridger Elementary School11411.5100.0%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.

1 middle school, 31 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Bridger 7-8317.0100.0%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.

1 high school, 58 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Bridger High School589.9100.0%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 Bridger K-12 Schools

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 Bridger K-12 Schools

  1. Montana districts by spending per studentBridger K-12 Schools ranks 140 of 361 Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($19,357).#140 of 361
  2. Every school district in MontanaBridger K-12 Schools is the number 142 by size of 398 Montana districts, with 199 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#142 of 398
  3. Thompson Falls High SchoolThe next larger Montana district: 201 students in fall 2022, $14,373 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,373
  4. Big Sandy K-12The next smaller Montana district: 197 students in fall 2022, $17,299 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,299
  5. Compare Bridger K-12 Schools with Thompson Falls High SchoolEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Bridger High School, its largest high school58 students in 2024-25, 9.9 per teacher.58
  7. Teacher salary spending across MontanaBridger K-12 Schools spent $68,180 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$68,180
  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 Bridger K-12 Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Bridger K-12 Schools?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 203 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Bridger K-12 Schools spend per student?
    $19,357 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 $19,462 per student, up 0.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Bridger K-12 Schools' money come from?
    $4,431,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 31.6% state, 58.5% local and 9.8% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Bridger K-12 Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 21 of the 192 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.9%, 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 Bridger K-12 Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $1,397,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $7,020 per student. Divided by the 20 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $68,180 per teacher, more than 87 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 Bridger K-12 Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Bridger K-12 Schools scored proficient or above: 40-44% 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 Bridger K-12 Schools?
    50% or more of the 12 students in Bridger K-12 Schools' 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 Bridger K-12 Schools' NCES district ID?
    3004800. 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

Compiled from official source data by .