Enrollment
15
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 301080000289
Fishtail School — Fishtail, MT
Federal NCES profile for Fishtail School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 50
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fishtail School earns a D Resource Investment Index (43/100), with class sizes near the Montana median.
- D
- Resource Index · 43/100
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 15
- students enrolled
School address
District: Fishtail Elem · Montana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fishtail School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Fishtail School reports 15 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 1.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 17% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Fishtail Elem spends $23,214 per pupil district-wide, above the Montana average of $19,282 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 42.8% from local sources (property taxes), 25.0% from the state, and 32.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Fishtail School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 7% | 12.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 15 | top 16% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
13 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 69% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
15 larger than 2% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 55% in Montana — lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$23,214
per pupil, district-wide
— above Montana avg of $19,282
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
Enrollment 15 Top 16% in Montana — larger than 84% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 1.0
Students per teacher 13:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301080000289
Student demographics
White 100.0%
Largest group: White at 100.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fishtail Elem, which includes Fishtail School.
$23,214
Per student
+20%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
+40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 25.0%
Federal 32.2%
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Fishtail School
How many students attend Fishtail School?
Fishtail School has 15 students enrolled. It is a other school in Fishtail, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fishtail School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fishtail School is 13:1, which is 7% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fishtail School?
The largest demographic group at Fishtail School is White at 100.0%. The school serves a student body in Fishtail, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fishtail School?
Fishtail School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Fishtail School a good school?
Fishtail School earns a D Resource Investment Index (43/100), with class sizes near the Montana median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.