Enrollment
236
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 300382000966
Bigfork 7-8 — Bigfork, MT
Federal NCES profile for Bigfork 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 21/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 22
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Bigfork Elem · Montana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bigfork 7-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Bigfork 7-8 reports 236 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 54% above the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 17% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 472 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Bigfork Elem spends $10,600 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 53.4% from local sources (property taxes), 34.7% from the state, and 11.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bigfork 7-8 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 54% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 236 | top 72% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
— 54% above state mean
Top 96% in Montana — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,600
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 472 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 236 Top 72% in Montana — larger than 28% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 18.6:1 +54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300382000966
Student demographics
White 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Two or More 0.8%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 472:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.4%
In-school suspensions 15
Out-of-school suspensions 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bigfork Elem, which includes Bigfork 7-8.
$10,600
Per student
-51%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-46%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 53.4%
State 34.7%
Federal 11.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
Similar middle schools in Bigfork
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Bigfork 7-8
How many students attend Bigfork 7-8?
Bigfork 7-8 has 236 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bigfork, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bigfork 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Bigfork 7-8 is 18.6:1, which is 54% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bigfork 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Bigfork 7-8 is White at 91.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bigfork, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bigfork 7-8?
Bigfork 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.