Enrollment
17
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 301331000393
Fort Smith School — Fort Smith, MT
Federal NCES profile for Fort Smith School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 71
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 0
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 →
School address
District: Hardin 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)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Smith 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
Fort Smith School reports 17 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 3.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 40% 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 54% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 68 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 76.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hardin Elem spends $17,950 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 17.3% from local sources (property taxes), 35.3% from the state, and 47.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Fort Smith 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 | 7.3:1 | ▼ 40% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 17 | top 18% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
7.3:1
students per teacher
— 40% below state mean
Top 17% in Montana — lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
76.5%
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
$17,950
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Per 68 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 17 Top 18% in Montana — larger than 82% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 3.0
Students per teacher 7.3:1 -40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301331000393
Student demographics
American Indian / Alaska Native 100.0%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 100.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.3
Students per counselor 68:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 76.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hardin Elem, which includes Fort Smith School.
$17,950
Per student
-17%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 17.3%
State 35.3%
Federal 47.4%
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
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 287
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
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 Fort Smith School
How many students attend Fort Smith School?
Fort Smith School has 17 students enrolled. It is a other school in Fort Smith, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Smith School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Smith School is 7.3:1, which is 40% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 54% 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 Fort Smith School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Smith School is American Indian / Alaska Native at 100.0%. The school serves a student body in Fort Smith, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Smith School?
Fort Smith School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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.