Enrollment
124
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chester, MT
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl
Federal NCES profile for Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300009800178
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 124
- students enrolled
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Chester, MT.
School address
District: Chester-Joplin-Inverness El · Montana
NCES ID 300009800178 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chester, Montana, enrolling 124 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 124 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 124 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Chester-Joplin-Inverness El spends $12,670 per pupil, 34% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chester's public schools, it stands alongside Sage Creek Elementary (5 students): Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.8:1 vs 5:1).
Chester-Joplin-Inverness El also operates Chester-Joplin-Inverness 7-8 (30 students) and Cool Spring Colony School (9 students) alongside Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl.
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 Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl compares
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 124 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
124
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 65% in Montana - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.1%
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
$12,670
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 124 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 95.2%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 95.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.3, Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester-Joplin-Inverness El, which includes Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl.
$12,670
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.9%
State 37.7%
Federal 21.4%
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 Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester-Joplin-Inverness 7-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cool Spring Colony School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sage Creek Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 7.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 9
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Chester
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 (~124 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl's federal record.
- Compare Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl against another school. Compare schools
- Chester-Joplin-Inverness El'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 Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl
How many students attend Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl?
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl has 124 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chester, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl?
The largest demographic group at Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl is White at 95.2% of enrollment, in Chester, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl?
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Chester, 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 Chester on the city page.
Is Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl a good school?
Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl earns 39/100 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 Chester-Joplin-Inverness El?
Besides Chester-Joplin-Inverness Schl, Chester-Joplin-Inverness El also operates Chester-Joplin-Inverness 7-8 (30 students), Cool Spring Colony School (9 students), and Sage Creek Elementary (5 students). See the Chester-Joplin-Inverness El 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.