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Helena, Montana - 13 schools
An equity score of 38/100 ranks Helena Elem #63 of 141 districts in Montana (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,560 per pupil, Helena Elem ranks #261 of 394 Montana districts by per-pupil spending (Montana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
5,225
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$13,560
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Helena Elem operates 13 public schools serving 5,225 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lewis and Clark County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,560 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 41.1% local, 37.0% state, and 21.9% 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 38/100, ranked #63 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.
a 313.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 47.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.5% White, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bryant School, with a diversity index of 46.4/100.
Its largest campus is C R Anderson Middle Schl, enrolling 962 students (20% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hawthorne School, at 183 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
C R Anderson Middle Schl accounts for 18.4% of all Helena Elem student enrollment
That concentration means Helena Elem-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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.
Helena Elem school enrollment varies 5.3× across entities
Helena Elem school enrollment ranges from 183 students (lowest) to 962 students (highest), a spread of 779 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Helena Elem student-counselor ratio is 313:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Helena Elem is typically wider than the Helena Elem-aggregate figure suggests.
Helena Elem chronic absenteeism rate is 47.6% — 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.
Helena Elem has 13 schools, including 2 middle, 11 combined. Total enrollment is 5,225 students.
How much does Helena Elem spend per student?
Helena Elem spends $13,560 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #63 in Montana.
What is the demographic composition of Helena Elem?
Helena Elem students are 82.5% White, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Helena Elem?
Helena Elem has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #63 out of 141 districts in Montana.