Hamilton K-12 Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Hamilton, Montana - 4 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Hamilton K-12 Schools #50 of 141 districts in Montana (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,709 per pupil, Hamilton K-12 Schools ranks #328 of 394 Montana districts by per-pupil spending (Montana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,666
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$11,709
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Hamilton K-12 Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,666 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Ravalli County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,709 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 394 Montana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Montana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.7% local, 44.5% state, and 19.9% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 42/100, ranked #50 of 141 in Montana against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (14 AP courses district-wide), a 189.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 45.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.9% White, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hamilton Middle School, with a diversity index of 28.3/100.

Its largest campus is Daly School, enrolling 539 students (35% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Washington School, at 65 students, a 8x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Daly School accounts for 32.4% of all Hamilton K-12 Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Hamilton K-12 Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hamilton K-12 Schools school enrollment varies 8.3× across entities

Hamilton K-12 Schools school enrollment ranges from 65 students (lowest) to 539 students (highest), a spread of 474 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hamilton K-12 Schools student-counselor ratio is 189:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Hamilton K-12 Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 45.1% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

19.9%
Federal
44.5%
State
35.7%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
50 / 141
State Rank
38
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Hamilton K-12 Schools.

White 86.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
Multiracial 4.4%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 23.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Hamilton K-12 Schools's schools, about the same as the Montana average of 23.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hamilton Middle School 28.3
  2. 2 Daly School 27.5
  3. 3 Hamilton High School 26.8
  4. 4 Washington School 11.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
14 AP courses total
189.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Hamilton K-12 Schools

School Enrollment
Daly School
539
Hamilton Middle School
460
Hamilton High School
460
Washington School
65

How Hamilton K-12 Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Montana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Lockwood K-12 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Columbia Falls Elem Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hellgate Elem Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Frenchtown K-12 Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
East Helena K-12 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Hamilton K-12 Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Montana

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Billings Elem
10,988 students · 28 schools · $12,537/pupil
Compare vs Hamilton K-12 Schools →
Great Falls Elem
7,032 students · 17 schools · $12,418/pupil
Compare vs Hamilton K-12 Schools →
Billings H S
5,610 students · 3 schools · $11,891/pupil
Compare vs Hamilton K-12 Schools →
Missoula Elem
5,280 students · 12 schools · $12,776/pupil
Compare vs Hamilton K-12 Schools →
Helena Elem
5,225 students · 13 schools · $13,560/pupil
Compare vs Hamilton K-12 Schools →

Compare Hamilton K-12 Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Billings Elem →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Hamilton K-12 Schools?

Hamilton K-12 Schools has 4 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,666 students.

How much does Hamilton K-12 Schools spend per student?

Hamilton K-12 Schools spends $11,709 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #50 in Montana.

What is the demographic composition of Hamilton K-12 Schools?

Hamilton K-12 Schools students are 86.9% White, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Hamilton K-12 Schools?

Hamilton K-12 Schools has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #50 out of 141 districts in Montana.