Enrollment
389
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Butte, MT
Emerson School
Federal NCES profile for Emerson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300528000140
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Montana schools.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Butte · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Montana
- 389
- students enrolled
Emerson School has class sizes larger than 81% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 6 schools in Butte, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson School
Emerson School is a large combined-grade school in Butte, Montana, enrolling 389 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 389 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Butte Elem spends $10,930 per pupil, 43% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Butte's public schools, it stands alongside West Elementary School (503 students): Emerson School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 16.2:1).
Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students) and West Elementary School (503 students) alongside Emerson 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 Emerson School compares
Emerson 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 32% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 389 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
389
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 81% in Montana - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.4%
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
$10,930
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 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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 84.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Two or More 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.6, Emerson School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Butte Elem, which includes Emerson School.
$10,930
Per student
-43%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 48.3%
Federal 11.3%
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 Emerson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whittier School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Margaret Leary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Butte
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Elementary School
Standard public school
503 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest School
Standard public school
412 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Whittier School
Standard public school
383 students 16:1 students per teacher
Margaret Leary School
Standard public school
359 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Kennedy School
Standard public school
219 students 12.2:1 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 (~389 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson School's federal record.
- Compare Emerson School against another school. Compare schools
- Butte 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 Emerson School
How many students attend Emerson School?
Emerson School has 389 students enrolled. It is a public school in Butte, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson School is 15.6:1, which is 32% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson School?
The largest demographic group at Emerson School is White at 84.3% of enrollment, in Butte, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson School?
Emerson School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Emerson School rank among schools in Butte?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson School ranks #3 of 6 schools in Butte, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Butte on the city page.
Is Emerson School a good school?
Emerson School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Butte Elem?
Besides Emerson School, Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students), West Elementary School (503 students), and Hillcrest School (412 students). See the Butte 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.