Enrollment
343
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300382000057
Bigfork Elementary — Bigfork, MT
Federal NCES profile for Bigfork Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
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)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bigfork Elementary 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 Elementary reports 343 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 31% 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 0% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 221 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 49.9% 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 31/100 (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 Elementary 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 31% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 84% | — | — |
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
— 31% above state mean
Top 82% in Montana — lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
49.9%
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
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 221 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 343 Top 84% in Montana — larger than 16% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 15.9:1 +31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300382000057
Student demographics
White 92.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 0.6%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 92.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.6
Students per counselor 221:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 49.9%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bigfork Elem, which includes Bigfork Elementary.
$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
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
Similar other schools in Bigfork
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) 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 Elementary
How many students attend Bigfork Elementary?
Bigfork Elementary has 343 students enrolled. It is a other school in Bigfork, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bigfork Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bigfork Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 31% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bigfork Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bigfork Elementary is White at 92.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bigfork, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bigfork Elementary?
Bigfork Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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.