Enrollment
1,293
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Helena, MT
Capital High School
Federal NCES profile for Capital High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 301383000429
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Capital High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #8 of 15
- public schools in Helena · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- large classes for Montana
- 1,293
- students enrolled
Capital High School has class sizes larger than 74% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High School ranks #8 of 15 public schools in Helena, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Capital High School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Capital High School
Capital High School is a large high school in Helena, Montana, enrolling 1,293 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,293 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 323 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Helena H S spends $13,331 per pupil, 31% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Helena's high schools, it stands alongside Helena High School (979 students): Capital High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 12.2:1).
Its district, Helena H S, also runs Helena High School (979 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 Capital High School compares
Capital High 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,293 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,293
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 74% in Montana - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$13,331
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 323 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Asian 1.2%
African American 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.2, Capital High School is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helena H S, which includes Capital High School.
$13,331
Per student
-31%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.0%
State 44.9%
Federal 11.1%
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 Capital High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Capital High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 979
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Helena
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,293 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Capital High School's federal record.
- Compare Capital High School against another school. Compare schools
- Helena H S'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 Capital High School
How many students attend Capital High School?
Capital High School has 1,293 students enrolled. It is a high school in Helena, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Capital High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Capital High School is 14.7:1, which is 25% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Capital High School?
The largest demographic group at Capital High School is White at 87.4% of enrollment, in Helena, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Capital High School?
Capital High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Capital High School rank among public schools in Helena?
By Resource Investment Index, Capital High School ranks #8 of 15 public schools in Helena, 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 Helena on the city page.
Is Capital High School a good school?
Capital High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana. 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 Helena H S?
Besides Capital High School, Helena H S also operates Helena High School (979 students). See the Helena H S 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.