Enrollment
245
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laurel, MT
Fred W Graff School
Federal NCES profile for Fred W Graff School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 301620000497
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fred W Graff School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Montana schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Montana
- 245
- students enrolled
Fred W Graff School has class sizes larger than 88% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fred W Graff School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Laurel, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fred W Graff School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fred W Graff School
Fred W Graff School is a mid-sized elementary school in Laurel, Montana, enrolling 245 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.3:1 is larger than about 88% of Montana schools and 38% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 245 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Laurel Elem spends $12,716 per pupil, 34% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Laurel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Laurel Middle School (506 students): Fred W Graff School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 14.9:1).
Laurel Elem also operates Laurel Middle School (506 students) and West School (248 students) alongside Fred W Graff 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 Fred W Graff School compares
Fred W Graff 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 38% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 88% in Montana - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,716
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
Counselors0.7 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 86.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: White at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.4, Fred W Graff School is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel Elem, which includes Fred W Graff School.
$12,716
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 40.1%
Federal 16.3%
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 Fred W Graff School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| West School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| South School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fred W Graff School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 248
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 158
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Laurel
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~245 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fred W Graff School's federal record.
- Compare Fred W Graff School against another school. Compare schools
- Laurel 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 Fred W Graff School
How many students attend Fred W Graff School?
Fred W Graff School has 245 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laurel, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fred W Graff School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fred W Graff School is 16.3:1, which is 38% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fred W Graff School?
The largest demographic group at Fred W Graff School is White at 86.5% of enrollment, in Laurel, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fred W Graff School?
Fred W Graff School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Fred W Graff School rank among elementary schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, Fred W Graff School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Laurel, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Laurel on the city page.
Is Fred W Graff School a good school?
Fred W Graff School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Laurel Elem?
Besides Fred W Graff School, Laurel Elem also operates Laurel Middle School (506 students), West School (248 students), and South School (158 students). See the Laurel 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.