Enrollment
78
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whitefish, MT
Bissell School
Federal NCES profile for Bissell School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301095000296
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bissell School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Whitefish · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 78
- students enrolled
Bissell School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bissell School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Whitefish, MT.
School address
District: Olney-Bissell Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301095000296 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bissell School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bissell School
Bissell School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Whitefish, Montana, enrolling 78 students.
At 13:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Montana median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 78 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Olney-Bissell Elem spends $12,677 per pupil, 34% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Whitefish's public schools, it stands alongside L a Muldown School (661 students): Bissell School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 13.5:1).
Its district, Olney-Bissell Elem, also runs Bissell 7-8 (17 students).
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bissell School compares
Bissell School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 10% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 78 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
78
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 58% in Montana - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,677
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 91.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.6%
Largest group: White at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.9, Bissell School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Olney-Bissell Elem, which includes Bissell School.
$12,677
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Bissell School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bissell 7-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bissell School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools in Whitefish
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~78 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bissell School's federal record.
- Compare Bissell School against another school. Compare schools
- Olney-Bissell Elem's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bissell School
How many students attend Bissell School?
Bissell School has 78 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whitefish, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bissell School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bissell School is 13:1, which is 10% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bissell School?
The largest demographic group at Bissell School is White at 91.0% of enrollment, in Whitefish, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bissell School?
Bissell School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bissell School rank among public schools in Whitefish?
By Resource Investment Index, Bissell School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Whitefish, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Whitefish on the city page.
Is Bissell School a good school?
Bissell School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Olney-Bissell Elem?
Besides Bissell School, Olney-Bissell Elem also operates Bissell 7-8 (17 students). See the Olney-Bissell Elem district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.