Enrollment
563
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · East Helena, MT
East Helena High School
Federal NCES profile for East Helena High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 300065501126
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Helena High School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in East Helena · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 563
- students enrolled
East Helena High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Helena High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in East Helena, MT.
School address
District: East Helena K-12 · Montana
NCES ID 300065501126 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Helena High School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Helena High School
East Helena High School is a large high school in East Helena, Montana, enrolling 563 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 95% of Montana schools and 54% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 95% of state schools at 563 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 450 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding East Helena K-12 spends $10,320 per pupil, 46% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
East Helena K-12 also operates East Valley Middle School (471 students) and Radley Elementary School (428 students) alongside East Helena High 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 East Helena High School compares
East Helena High 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 54% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 563 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
563
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 54% above state mean
Top 95% in Montana - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
63.8%
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
$10,320
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 450 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 84.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Asian 0.5%
African American 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.7, East Helena High School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Helena K-12, which includes East Helena High School.
$10,320
Per student
-46%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 43.8%
Federal 17.3%
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 East Helena High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Valley Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Radley Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prickly Pear Elem | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastgate School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Helena High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high 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 (~563 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Helena High School's federal record.
- Compare East Helena High School against another school. Compare schools
- East Helena K-12'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 East Helena High School
How many students attend East Helena High School?
East Helena High School has 563 students enrolled. It is a high school in East Helena, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Helena High School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Helena High School is 18.2:1, which is 54% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Helena High School?
The largest demographic group at East Helena High School is White at 84.5% of enrollment, in East Helena, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Helena High School?
East Helena High School has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does East Helena High School rank among public schools in East Helena?
By Resource Investment Index, East Helena High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in East Helena, 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 East Helena on the city page.
Is East Helena High School a good school?
East Helena High School earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 East Helena K-12?
Besides East Helena High School, East Helena K-12 also operates East Valley Middle School (471 students), Radley Elementary School (428 students), and Prickly Pear Elem (269 students). See the East Helena K-12 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.