Enrollment
272
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sidney, MT
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 302420000699
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Montana schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Sidney · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for Montana
- 272
- students enrolled
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Sidney, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Sidney, Montana, enrolling 272 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 272 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sidney Elem spends $11,705 per pupil, 39% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Sidney Elem also operates Sidney Middle School (319 students) and West Side Elementary (288 students) alongside Central Elementary.
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 Central Elementary compares
Central Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 36% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 272 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 85% in Montana - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,705
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 80.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.1, Central Elementary is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sidney Elem, which includes Central Elementary.
$11,705
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 48.9%
Federal 16.8%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Side Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary 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 (~272 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sidney 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 272 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sidney, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 16:1, which is 36% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Sidney, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary rank among public schools in Sidney?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Sidney, 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 Sidney on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Montana schools. 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 Sidney Elem?
Besides Central Elementary, Sidney Elem also operates Sidney Middle School (319 students) and West Side Elementary (288 students). See the Sidney 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.