Enrollment
144
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300626000181
Meadowlark School — Chinook, MT
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 34
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: Chinook 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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark 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
Meadowlark School reports 144 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% 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 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 288 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 26.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chinook Elem spends $16,654 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.5% from local sources (property taxes), 40.0% from the state, and 22.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), 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 Meadowlark 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 2% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 144 | top 61% | — | — |
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
11.9:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 45% in Montana — lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$16,654
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 288 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 144 Top 61% in Montana — larger than 39% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 11.9:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300626000181
Student demographics
White 76.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 11.1%
Two or More 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 288:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 26.4%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chinook Elem, which includes Meadowlark School.
$16,654
Per student
-23%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 40.0%
Federal 22.4%
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
- 63
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- 4:1
Similar other schools in Chinook
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) 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 Meadowlark School
How many students attend Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has 144 students enrolled. It is a other school in Chinook, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School is 11.9:1, which is 2% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 25% 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 Meadowlark School?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark School is White at 76.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chinook, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) 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.