Enrollment
243
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Polson, MT
Cherry Valley School
Federal NCES profile for Cherry Valley School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302106000630
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherry Valley School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Polson · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- students per teacher
- 243
- students enrolled
Cherry Valley School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherry Valley School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Polson, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherry Valley School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherry Valley School
Cherry Valley School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Polson, Montana, enrolling 243 students.
At 11.6:1, 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.
Enrollment of 243 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 led by White (63%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 73.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Polson Elem spends $11,418 per pupil, 41% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Polson's public schools, it stands alongside Valley View School (35 students): Cherry Valley School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 11.7:1).
Polson Elem also operates Polson Middle School (477 students) and Linderman School (355 students) alongside Cherry Valley 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 Cherry Valley School compares
Cherry Valley 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 2% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 243 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
243
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 45% in Montana - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
73.7%
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
$11,418
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 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 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 62.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 30.9%
Two or More 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Cherry Valley School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polson Elem, which includes Cherry Valley School.
$11,418
Per student
-41%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 39.5%
Federal 27.9%
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 Cherry Valley School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polson Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Linderman School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherry Valley School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Polson
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 (~243 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherry Valley School's federal record.
- Compare Cherry Valley School against another school. Compare schools
- Polson 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 Cherry Valley School
How many students attend Cherry Valley School?
Cherry Valley School has 243 students enrolled. It is a public school in Polson, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherry Valley School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherry Valley School is 11.6:1, which is 2% lower than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 26% 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 Cherry Valley School?
The largest demographic group at Cherry Valley School is White at 62.6% of enrollment, in Polson, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherry Valley School?
Cherry Valley School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Cherry Valley School rank among public schools in Polson?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherry Valley School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Polson, 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 Polson on the city page.
Is Cherry Valley School a good school?
Cherry Valley School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Polson Elem?
Besides Cherry Valley School, Polson Elem also operates Polson Middle School (477 students) and Linderman School (355 students). See the Polson 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.