Enrollment
429
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 301857000572
Lewis & Clark School — Missoula, MT
Federal NCES profile for Lewis & Clark School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 13
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 Elem · 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)
31.0
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 Lewis & Clark 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
Lewis & Clark School reports 429 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 31.0 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.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 358 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 34.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Missoula Elem spends $13,532 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.2% from local sources (property taxes), 39.6% from the state, and 18.2% 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 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 Lewis & Clark 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 | 429 | top 90% | — | — |
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
34.7%
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
$13,532
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 358 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 429 Top 90% in Montana — larger than 10% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 31.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 +17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301857000572
Student demographics
White 84.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 84.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.2
Students per counselor 358:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 34.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Missoula Elem, which includes Lewis & Clark School.
$13,532
Per student
-37%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 39.6%
Federal 18.2%
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
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
Similar other schools in Missoula
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jeannette Rankin El
Standard public school
457 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne School
Standard public school
417 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Paxson School
Standard public school
415 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Chief Charlo School
Standard public school
414 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Target Range School
Standard public school
410 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Rattlesnake Elementary School
Standard public school
393 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
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 Lewis & Clark School
How many students attend Lewis & Clark School?
Lewis & Clark School has 429 students enrolled. It is a other school in Missoula, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lewis & Clark School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lewis & Clark 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 Lewis & Clark School?
The largest demographic group at Lewis & Clark School is White at 84.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Missoula, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lewis & Clark School?
Lewis & Clark School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) 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.