Enrollment
287
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hardin, MT
Hardin Primary
Federal NCES profile for Hardin Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301331000396
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hardin Primary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Hardin · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.9:1
- students per teacher
- 287
- students enrolled
Hardin Primary has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hardin Primary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Hardin, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hardin Primary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hardin Primary
Hardin Primary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hardin, Montana, enrolling 287 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 287 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (68%) and White (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 73.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Hardin Elem spends $15,447 per pupil, 20% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 47.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hardin Elem also operates Hardin Middle School (359 students) and Hardin Intermediate (290 students) alongside Hardin Primary.
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 Hardin Primary compares
Hardin Primary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.9:1 | ▼ 16% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 287 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.9:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
287
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 33% in Montana - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
73.9%
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
$15,447
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 287 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
- 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 67.9%
White 20.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.4%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 67.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Hardin Primary is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hardin Elem, which includes Hardin Primary.
$15,447
Per student
-20%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Hardin Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardin Intermediate | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crow Agency School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Smith School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hardin Primary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 5.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~287 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hardin Primary's federal record.
- Compare Hardin Primary against another school. Compare schools
- Hardin 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 Hardin Primary
How many students attend Hardin Primary?
Hardin Primary has 287 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hardin, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hardin Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hardin Primary is 9.9:1, which is 16% lower than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 37% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hardin Primary?
The largest demographic group at Hardin Primary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 67.9% of enrollment, in Hardin, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hardin Primary?
Hardin Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Hardin Primary rank among public schools in Hardin?
By Resource Investment Index, Hardin Primary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Hardin, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hardin on the city page.
Is Hardin Primary a good school?
Hardin Primary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Hardin Elem?
Besides Hardin Primary, Hardin Elem also operates Hardin Middle School (359 students), Hardin Intermediate (290 students), and Crow Agency School (268 students). See the Hardin 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.