Enrollment
412
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Butte, MT
Hillcrest School
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300528000143
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Butte · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Montana
- 412
- students enrolled
Hillcrest School has class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Butte, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest School
Hillcrest School is a large combined-grade school in Butte, Montana, enrolling 412 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 97% of Montana schools and 66% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 412 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Butte Elem spends $10,930 per pupil, 43% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Butte's public schools, it stands alongside West Elementary School (503 students): Hillcrest School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 16.2:1).
Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students) and West Elementary School (503 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest School compares
Hillcrest 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 66% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 66% above state mean
Top 97% in Montana - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.2%
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
$10,930
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 89.6%
Two or More 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.3, Hillcrest School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Butte Elem, which includes Hillcrest School.
$10,930
Per student
-43%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 48.3%
Federal 11.3%
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 Hillcrest School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Emerson School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Whittier School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Margaret Leary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Butte
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Elementary School
Standard public school
503 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Emerson School
Standard public school
389 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Whittier School
Standard public school
383 students 16:1 students per teacher
Margaret Leary School
Standard public school
359 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Kennedy School
Standard public school
219 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest School's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest School against another school. Compare schools
- Butte 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 Hillcrest School
How many students attend Hillcrest School?
Hillcrest School has 412 students enrolled. It is a public school in Butte, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest School is 19.6:1, which is 66% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Butte, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest School?
Hillcrest School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower 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 Hillcrest School rank among schools in Butte?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest School ranks #5 of 6 schools in Butte, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Butte on the city page.
Is Hillcrest School a good school?
Hillcrest School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Butte Elem?
Besides Hillcrest School, Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students), West Elementary School (503 students), and Emerson School (389 students). See the Butte 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.