Enrollment
17
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 301095000969
Bissell 7-8 — Whitefish, MT
Federal NCES profile for Bissell 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 97
📋 Attendance 12
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: Olney-Bissell 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)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bissell 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
Bissell 7-8 reports 17 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 34% below the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 50% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 17 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Olney-Bissell Elem spends $13,101 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.8% from local sources (property taxes), 41.3% from the state, and 19.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), 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 Bissell 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 | 8:1 | ▼ 34% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 17 | top 18% | — | — |
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
8:1
students per teacher
— 34% below state mean
Top 20% in Montana — lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
35.3%
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
$13,101
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 17 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 17 Top 18% in Montana — larger than 82% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 8:1 -34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301095000969
Student demographics
White 94.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.9%
Largest group: White at 94.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 17:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.3%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Olney-Bissell Elem, which includes Bissell 7-8.
$13,101
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 41.3%
Federal 19.9%
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
- 78
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
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 Bissell 7-8
How many students attend Bissell 7-8?
Bissell 7-8 has 17 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Whitefish, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bissell 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Bissell 7-8 is 8:1, which is 34% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 50% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bissell 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Bissell 7-8 is White at 94.1%. The school serves a student body in Whitefish, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bissell 7-8?
Bissell 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) 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.