Enrollment
159
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 301116000303
Forsyth Elementary School — Forsyth, MT
Federal NCES profile for Forsyth Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 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
Forsyth Elementary School earns a D Resource Investment Index (43/100), with class sizes near the Montana median.
- D
- Resource Index · 43/100
- 10.6:1
- students per teacher
- 159
- students enrolled
School address
District: Forsyth 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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forsyth Elementary 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
Forsyth Elementary School reports 159 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% below the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 318 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Forsyth Elem spends $14,161 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.9% from local sources (property taxes), 37.4% from the state, and 18.7% 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 4 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 Forsyth Elementary 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 159 | top 64% | — | — |
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)
11 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 87% 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')
159 larger than 15% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 34% in Montana — lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$14,161
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 318 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 159 Top 64% in Montana — larger than 36% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 10.6:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301116000303
Student demographics
White 84.9%
Two or More 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 318:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.1%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forsyth Elem, which includes Forsyth Elementary School.
$14,161
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 43.9%
State 37.4%
Federal 18.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 33
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
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 Forsyth Elementary School
How many students attend Forsyth Elementary School?
Forsyth Elementary School has 159 students enrolled. It is a other school in Forsyth, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forsyth Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Forsyth Elementary School is 10.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forsyth Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Forsyth Elementary School is White at 84.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Forsyth, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forsyth Elementary School?
Forsyth Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.