Sun River Valley Elem

Simms, Montana — 3 schools

178
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$16,922
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sun River Valley Elem operates 3 public schools serving 178 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 154 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is geographically located in Cascade County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,922 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 33.9% local, 40.3% state, and 25.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $79,428 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts.

a 71.5:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 19.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.0% White, 1.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian across the district's schools.

Fort Shaw Elem School accounts for 57.1% of all Sun River Valley Elem student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Sun River Valley Elem-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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

Sun River Valley Elem school enrollment varies 8.0× across entities

Sun River Valley Elem school enrollment ranges from 11 students (lowest) to 88 students (highest), a spread of 77 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

Sun River Valley Elem student-counselor ratio is 72:1 — 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

Sun River Valley Elem chronic absenteeism rate is 19.6% — 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 Sun River Valley Elem is typically wider than the Sun River Valley Elem-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

25.8%
Federal
40.3%
State
33.9%
Local

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Cascade County county, where this district is located.

$960
Studio/mo
$979
1 BR/mo
$1,284
2 BR/mo
$1,786
3 BR/mo
$2,035
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$79,428
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Sun River Valley Elem.

White 89.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 3.3%
Other 4.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

71.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sun River Valley Elem

School Enrollment
Fort Shaw Elem School
88
Sun River Middle School
55
Cascade Colony School
11

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
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Great Falls Elem
7,032 students · 17 schools · $12,418/pupil
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Billings H S
5,610 students · 3 schools · $11,891/pupil
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Missoula Elem
5,280 students · 12 schools · $12,776/pupil
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Helena Elem
5,225 students · 13 schools · $13,560/pupil
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Compare Sun River Valley Elem

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Sun River Valley Elem?

Sun River Valley Elem has 3 schools, including 2 other, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 178 students.

How much does Sun River Valley Elem spend per student?

Sun River Valley Elem spends $16,922 per student.

What is the average teacher salary in Sun River Valley Elem?

The average teacher salary in Sun River Valley Elem is $79,428 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Sun River Valley Elem?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cascade County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Sun River Valley Elem?

Sun River Valley Elem students are 89.0% White, 1.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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