Enrollment
1,262
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 301854000562
Hellgate High School — Missoula, MT
Federal NCES profile for Hellgate High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 43
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 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: Missoula H S · 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)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hellgate High 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
Hellgate High School reports 1,262 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 92.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 17% 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 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 9 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 316 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 62.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Missoula H S spends $14,663 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.8% from local sources (property taxes), 38.4% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 Hellgate High 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,262 | top 99% | — | — |
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 17% above state mean
Top 65% in Montana — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
62.0%
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
$14,663
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 316 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,262 Top 99% in Montana — larger than 1% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 92.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 +17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301854000562
Student demographics
White 84.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.9%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 316:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 62.0%
In-school suspensions 26
Out-of-school suspensions 30
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Missoula H S, which includes Hellgate High School.
$14,663
Per student
-32%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.8%
State 38.4%
Federal 13.8%
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
- 1,365
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
Similar high schools in Missoula
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 Hellgate High School
How many students attend Hellgate High School?
Hellgate High School has 1,262 students enrolled. It is a high school in Missoula, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hellgate High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hellgate High School is 14.2:1, which is 17% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hellgate High School?
The largest demographic group at Hellgate High School is White at 84.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Missoula, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hellgate High School?
Hellgate High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.