Enrollment
242
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Helena, MT
Central School
Federal NCES profile for Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300000500418
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Montana schools.
- #2 of 11
- schools in Helena · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.1:1
- small classes for Montana
- 242
- students enrolled
Central School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #2 of 11 schools in Helena, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.1:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central School
Central School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Helena, Montana, enrolling 242 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 7.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Helena Elem spends $13,560 per pupil, 30% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Helena's public schools, it stands alongside Four Georgians School (482 students): Central School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.1:1 vs 18.5:1).
Helena Elem also operates C R Anderson Middle Schl (962 students) and Helena Middle School (701 students) alongside Central School.
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 School compares
Central 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 | 7.1:1 | ▼ 40% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.1:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
242
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
7.1:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 17% in Montana - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
65.3%
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
$13,560
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.2%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.7%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Central School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helena Elem, which includes Central School.
$13,560
Per student
-30%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.1%
State 37.0%
Federal 21.9%
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 Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C R Anderson Middle Schl | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Four Georgians School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jim Darcy School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rossiter School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 962
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 701
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Helena
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Four Georgians School
Standard public school
482 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Jim Darcy School
Standard public school
473 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Rossiter School
Standard public school
369 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Bryant School
Standard public school
288 students 16:1 students per teacher
Warren School
Standard public school
276 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Jefferson School
Standard public school
245 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~242 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central School's federal record.
- Compare Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Helena 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 School
How many students attend Central School?
Central School has 242 students enrolled. It is a public school in Helena, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central School is 7.1:1, which is 40% lower than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 55% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central School?
The largest demographic group at Central School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Helena, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central School?
Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 School rank among schools in Helena?
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #2 of 11 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 schools in Helena on the city page.
Is Central School a good school?
Central School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Helena Elem?
Besides Central School, Helena Elem also operates C R Anderson Middle Schl (962 students), Helena Middle School (701 students), and Four Georgians School (482 students). See the Helena 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.