Enrollment
751
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bozeman, MT
Chief Joseph Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Chief Joseph Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300456000112
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chief Joseph Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Bozeman · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Montana
- 751
- students enrolled
Chief Joseph Middle School has class sizes larger than 71% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chief Joseph Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Bozeman, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chief Joseph Middle School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chief Joseph Middle School
Chief Joseph Middle School is a large middle school in Bozeman, Montana, enrolling 751 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 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 97% of state schools at 751 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 376 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Bozeman Elem spends $11,190 per pupil, 42% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bozeman's middle schools, it stands alongside Sacajawea Middle School (807 students): Chief Joseph Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 15.5:1).
Bozeman Elem also operates Sacajawea Middle School (807 students) and Emily Dickinson School (531 students) alongside Chief Joseph Middle 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 Chief Joseph Middle School compares
Chief Joseph Middle 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 751 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
751
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 71% in Montana - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.0%
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
$11,190
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 376 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
56
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 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 83.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Asian 1.7%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.1, Chief Joseph Middle School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bozeman Elem, which includes Chief Joseph Middle School.
$11,190
Per student
-42%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 35.9%
Federal 14.5%
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 Chief Joseph Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacajawea Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emily Dickinson School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hyalite Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morning Star School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chief Joseph Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools in Bozeman
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sacajawea Middle School
Standard public school
807 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Monforton 6-8
Standard public school
242 students 22:1 students per teacher
Anderson 7-8
Standard public school
49 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Lamotte 6-8
Standard public school
22 students 11:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~751 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chief Joseph Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Chief Joseph Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bozeman 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 Chief Joseph Middle School
How many students attend Chief Joseph Middle School?
Chief Joseph Middle School has 751 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bozeman, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chief Joseph Middle School is 14.4:1, which is 22% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chief Joseph Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Chief Joseph Middle School is White at 83.1% of enrollment, in Bozeman, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chief Joseph Middle School?
Chief Joseph Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Chief Joseph Middle School rank among middle schools in Bozeman?
By Resource Investment Index, Chief Joseph Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Bozeman, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Bozeman on the city page.
Is Chief Joseph Middle School a good school?
Chief Joseph Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Bozeman Elem?
Besides Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman Elem also operates Sacajawea Middle School (807 students), Emily Dickinson School (531 students), and Hyalite Elementary (521 students). See the Bozeman 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.