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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Missoula, Montana - 12 schools
An equity score of 38/100 ranks Missoula Elem #59 of 141 districts in Montana (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,401 per pupil, Missoula Elem ranks #274 of 393 Montana districts by per-pupil spending (Montana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Missoula Elem operates 12 public schools serving 5,280 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 combined, 3 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 Missoula County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,401 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 393 Montana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Montana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 42.2% local, 39.6% state, and 18.2% 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 #59 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 324.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 39.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.1% White, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Franklin School, with a diversity index of 46.2/100.
Its largest campus is Washington Middle School, enrolling 669 students (13% of the district's total enrollment).
Missoula Elem school enrollment ranges from 274 students (lowest) to 669 students (highest), a spread of 395 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.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
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 Missoula Elem is typically wider than the Missoula Elem-aggregate figure suggests.
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Missoula Elem.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Missoula Elem's schools, above the Montana average of 23.6.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| Washington Middle School | 669 |
| Porter Middle School | 579 |
| Jeannette Rankin El | 457 |
| Lewis & Clark School | 429 |
| Hawthorne School | 417 |
| Paxson School | 415 |
| Chief Charlo School | 414 |
| Meadow Hill Middle School | 414 |
| Rattlesnake Elementary School | 393 |
| Russell School | 375 |
| Lowell School | 354 |
| Franklin School | 274 |
The Montana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Elem | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Billings H S | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Bozeman Elem | Similar size | Lower spending | Similar funding mix |
| Missoula H S | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Great Falls Elem | Larger | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to Missoula Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Billings Elem →Missoula Elem has 12 schools, including 3 middle, 9 combined. Total enrollment is 5,280 students.
Missoula Elem spends $13,401 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #59 in Montana.
Missoula Elem students are 81.1% White, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Missoula Elem has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #59 out of 141 districts in Montana.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.