Enrollment
492
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bozeman, MT
Meadowlark Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300456001108
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadowlark Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools.
- #5 of 13
- schools in Bozeman · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Montana
- 492
- students enrolled
Meadowlark Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Bozeman, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadowlark Elementary
Meadowlark Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Bozeman, Montana, enrolling 492 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 93% of state schools at 492 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 328 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Bozeman Elem spends $11,190 per pupil, 42% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bozeman's public schools, it stands alongside Emily Dickinson School (531 students): Meadowlark Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 16.1:1).
Bozeman Elem also operates Sacajawea Middle School (807 students) and Chief Joseph Middle School (751 students) alongside Meadowlark Elementary.
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 Meadowlark Elementary compares
Meadowlark Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 35% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 492 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
492
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 83% in Montana - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$11,190
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Meadowlark Elementary is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bozeman Elem, which includes Meadowlark Elementary.
$11,190
Per student
-42%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.6%
State 35.9%
Federal 14.5%
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 Meadowlark Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacajawea Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chief Joseph Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Emily Dickinson School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hyalite Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Morning Star School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadowlark Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Bozeman
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Emily Dickinson School
Standard public school
531 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Hyalite Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Morning Star School
Standard public school
482 students 21:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne School
Standard public school
348 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Longfellow School
Standard public school
289 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Whittier School
Standard public school
262 students 14.6:1 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 (~492 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadowlark Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Meadowlark Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bozeman 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 Meadowlark Elementary
How many students attend Meadowlark Elementary?
Meadowlark Elementary has 492 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bozeman, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 35% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadowlark Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark Elementary is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Bozeman, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark Elementary?
Meadowlark Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Meadowlark Elementary rank among schools in Bozeman?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Bozeman, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bozeman on the city page.
Is Meadowlark Elementary a good school?
Meadowlark Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Bozeman Elem?
Besides Meadowlark Elementary, Bozeman Elem also operates Sacajawea Middle School (807 students), Chief Joseph Middle School (751 students), and Emily Dickinson School (531 students). See the Bozeman 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.