Harlowton Public Schools
Listed by NCES as Harlowton K-12 (district ID 3013470)
Public school district · Wheatland County · Montana · NCES district ID 3013470
Harlowton Public Schools spent $19,101 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 59% of the other Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,778). Its 3 schools enrolled 298 students in 2024-25; 33.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $18,809 per student, down 1.5% 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 Harlowton Public Schools in enrollment (244 to 271 students) and Harlowton Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$5,065,000 in revenue: 33.3% state, 49.9% local and 16.8% federal. Total spending including $258,000 of capital outlay was $5,233,000, or $20,283 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,686,000 33%
- Local$2,528,000 50%
- Federal$851,000 17%
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
258 students in 2022-23, 267 students in 2023-24, 298 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 258 | 26.8 | 9.6 |
| 2023-24 | 267 | 26.9 | 9.9 |
| 2024-25 | 298 | 26.2 | 11.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,074,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,163 per student
Harlowton Public Schools booked $1,074,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 27 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 $40,075 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 7 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $879,000 | 81.8% |
| Special education | $132,000 | 12.3% |
| Vocational | $63,000 | 5.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $6,877 in 2018-19, $5,154 in 2019-20, $5,138 in 2020-21, $5,466 in 2021-22, $4,163 in 2022-23.
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 Harlowton Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45-49% in reading and 35-39% 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.
| Subject | This district | Montana | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 45-49% | 45.7% | 146 |
| Math | 35-39% | 35.2% | 147 |
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 11 students in Harlowton Public 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.
| This district | Montana | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 50% or more | 85.5% |
| Students in the class | 11 | 10,838 |
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, 195 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest School | 195 | 12.2 | 70.8% | 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, 37 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest 7-8 | 37 | 13.3 | 45.9% | 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, 66 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlowton High School | 66 | 8.9 | 43.9% | 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 Harlowton Public Schools
- Website: harlowton.k12.mt.us
- Phone: (406) 632-4822
- Office: 304 Division St, Harlowton, MT 59036
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 Harlowton Public Schools
- Montana districts by spending per studentHarlowton Public Schools ranks 148 of 361 Montana districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($19,101).#148 of 361
- Every school district in MontanaHarlowton Public Schools is the number 117 by size of 398 Montana districts, with 258 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#117 of 398
- Arlee ElementaryThe next larger Montana district: 270 students in fall 2022, $20,185 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$20,185
- Choteau ElementaryThe next smaller Montana district: 255 students in fall 2022, $12,192 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,192
- Compare Harlowton Public Schools with Arlee ElementaryEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Harlowton High School, its largest high school66 students in 2024-25, 8.9 per teacher.66
- Teacher salary spending across MontanaHarlowton Public Schools spent $40,075 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$40,075
- 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 Harlowton Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Harlowton Public Schools?
3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 298 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Harlowton Public Schools spend per student?
$19,101 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 $18,809 per student, down 1.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Harlowton Public Schools' money come from?
$5,065,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 33.3% state, 49.9% local and 16.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Harlowton Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 88 of the 351 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 25.1%, 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.How much does Harlowton Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$1,074,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,163 per student. Divided by the 27 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $40,075 per teacher, more than 7 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).How do students in Harlowton Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Harlowton Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45-49% in reading and 35-39% 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.What is the graduation rate in Harlowton Public Schools?
50% or more of the 11 students in Harlowton Public 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.What is Harlowton Public Schools' NCES district ID?
3013470. 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