Enrollment
144
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Conrad, MT
Meadowlark School
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300733000207
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadowlark School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Montana schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Conrad · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Montana
- 144
- students enrolled
Meadowlark School has class sizes larger than 71% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Conrad, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadowlark School
Meadowlark School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Conrad, Montana, enrolling 144 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 144 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 144 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Conrad Elem spends $11,606 per pupil, 40% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Conrad's public schools, it stands alongside Miami School (38 students): Meadowlark School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.4:1 vs 12.7:1).
Conrad Elem also operates Utterback 4-6 (115 students) and Utterback 7-8 (81 students) alongside Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark School compares
Meadowlark 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 144 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
144
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 71% in Montana - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.7%
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
$11,606
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 144 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 87.5%
Two or More 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.0, Meadowlark School is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conrad Elem, which includes Meadowlark School.
$11,606
Per student
-40%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 44.0%
Federal 19.0%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utterback 4-6 | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Utterback 7-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadowlark School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 81
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Conrad
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~144 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadowlark School's federal record.
- Compare Meadowlark School against another school. Compare schools
- Conrad 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 School
How many students attend Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has 144 students enrolled. It is a public school in Conrad, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School is 14.4:1, which is 22% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadowlark School?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark School is White at 87.5% of enrollment, in Conrad, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 School rank among schools in Conrad?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Conrad, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Conrad on the city page.
Is Meadowlark School a good school?
Meadowlark School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Conrad Elem?
Besides Meadowlark School, Conrad Elem also operates Utterback 4-6 (115 students) and Utterback 7-8 (81 students). See the Conrad 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.