Townsend K-12 Schools

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.

Townsend, Montana - 3 schools

An equity score of 30/100 ranks Townsend K-12 Schools #93 of 141 districts in Montana (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,363 per pupil, Townsend K-12 Schools ranks #309 of 393 Montana districts by per-pupil spending (Montana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

706
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,363
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Townsend K-12 Schools operates 3 public schools serving 706 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Montana. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Broadwater County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,363 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 49.1% local, 37.3% state, and 13.6% 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 30/100, ranked #93 of 141 in Montana against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 253.2:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 49.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.3% White, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Broadwater High School, with a diversity index of 25.1/100.

Its largest campus is Cecelia Hazelton School, enrolling 423 students (58% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Townsend 7-8, at 114 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Cecelia Hazelton School accounts for 57.7% of all Townsend K-12 Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Townsend K-12 Schools a distant remainder — means Townsend K-12 Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Townsend K-12 Schools school enrollment varies 3.7× across entities

Townsend K-12 Schools school enrollment ranges from 114 students (lowest) to 423 students (highest), a spread of 309 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

Townsend K-12 Schools student-counselor ratio is 253:1 — 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 Townsend K-12 Schools is typically wider than the Townsend K-12 Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Townsend K-12 Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 49.1% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.6%
Federal
37.3%
State
49.1%
Local

Funding Equity

30
Equity Score
93 / 141
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Townsend K-12 Schools.

White 88.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Multiracial 5.0%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 21.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Townsend K-12 Schools's schools, below the Montana average of 23.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Broadwater High School 25.1
  2. 2 Townsend 7-8 20.9
  3. 3 Cecelia Hazelton School 18.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
253.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
49.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Townsend K-12 Schools

School Enrollment
Cecelia Hazelton School
423
Broadwater High School
196
Townsend 7-8
114

How Townsend K-12 Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Montana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Elder Grove Elem Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Columbia Falls H S Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Anaconda Elem Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Monforton Elem Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Stevensville Elem Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Townsend K-12 Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

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 · $12,015/pupil
Compare vs Townsend K-12 Schools →
Great Falls Elem
7,032 students · 17 schools · $12,146/pupil
Compare vs Townsend K-12 Schools →
Billings H S
5,610 students · 3 schools · $12,233/pupil
Compare vs Townsend K-12 Schools →
Missoula Elem
5,280 students · 12 schools · $13,401/pupil
Compare vs Townsend K-12 Schools →
Helena Elem
5,225 students · 13 schools · $13,752/pupil
Compare vs Townsend K-12 Schools →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Townsend K-12 Schools

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

Compare vs Billings Elem →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Townsend K-12 Schools?

Townsend K-12 Schools has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 706 students.

How much does Townsend K-12 Schools spend per student?

Townsend K-12 Schools spends $12,363 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #93 in Montana.

What is the demographic composition of Townsend K-12 Schools?

Townsend K-12 Schools students are 88.3% White, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Townsend K-12 Schools?

Townsend K-12 Schools has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #93 out of 141 districts in Montana.