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Laurel, Montana - 4 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Laurel Elem #87 of 141 districts in Montana (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,716 per pupil, Laurel Elem ranks #290 of 394 Montana districts by per-pupil spending (Montana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,272
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$12,716
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Laurel Elem operates 4 public schools serving 1,272 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 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 Yellowstone County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,716 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 43.6% local, 40.1% state, and 16.3% 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 31/100, ranked #87 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 305.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.5% White, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is West School, with a diversity index of 26.6/100.
Its largest campus is Laurel Middle School, enrolling 506 students (44% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is South School, at 158 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Laurel Middle School accounts for 39.8% of all Laurel Elem student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Laurel Elem-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.
Laurel Elem school enrollment varies 3.2× across entities
Laurel Elem school enrollment ranges from 158 students (lowest) to 506 students (highest), a spread of 348 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.
Laurel Elem student-counselor ratio is 305:1 — 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 Laurel Elem is typically wider than the Laurel Elem-aggregate figure suggests.
Laurel Elem chronic absenteeism rate is 23.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Laurel Elem is typically wider than the Laurel Elem-aggregate figure suggests.