Enrollment
195
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 301347000401
Hillcrest School — Harlowton, MT
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 18
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: Harlowton K-12 · 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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest 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
Hillcrest School reports 195 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% 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 30% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 195 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Harlowton K-12 spends $18,854 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 49.3% from local sources (property taxes), 30.0% from the state, and 20.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Hillcrest 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 195 | top 69% | — | — |
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
11.1:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 39% in Montana — lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
32.8%
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
$18,854
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 195 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 195 Top 69% in Montana — larger than 31% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 11.1:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301347000401
Student demographics
White 87.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 87.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 195:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harlowton K-12, which includes Hillcrest School.
$18,854
Per student
-12%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 49.3%
State 30.0%
Federal 20.6%
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
- 66
- Students per teacher
- 7.7:1
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
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 Hillcrest School
How many students attend Hillcrest School?
Hillcrest School has 195 students enrolled. It is a other school in Harlowton, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest School is 11.1:1, which is 8% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 30% 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 Hillcrest School?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest School is White at 87.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Harlowton, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest School?
Hillcrest School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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.