Enrollment
477
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Polson, MT
Polson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Polson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 302106000632
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polson Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Polson · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- large classes for Montana
- 477
- students enrolled
Polson Middle School has class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polson Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Polson, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polson Middle School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polson Middle School
Polson Middle School is a large elementary school in Polson, Montana, enrolling 477 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 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 92% of state schools at 477 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Polson Elem spends $11,418 per pupil, 41% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 100 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 477 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Polson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Linderman School (355 students): Polson Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 14.8:1).
Polson Elem also operates Linderman School (355 students) and Cherry Valley School (243 students) alongside Polson Middle 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 Polson Middle School compares
Polson Middle 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 477 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
477
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 72% in Montana - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
70.6%
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
$11,418
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 96 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 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 54.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 37.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, Polson Middle School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polson Elem, which includes Polson Middle School.
$11,418
Per student
-41%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 39.5%
Federal 27.9%
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 Polson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linderman School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherry Valley School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools in Polson
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~477 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Polson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Polson 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 Polson Middle School
How many students attend Polson Middle School?
Polson Middle School has 477 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Polson, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polson Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 23% 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 Polson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Polson Middle School is White at 54.9% of enrollment, in Polson, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polson Middle School?
Polson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Polson Middle School rank among public schools in Polson?
By Resource Investment Index, Polson Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Polson, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Polson on the city page.
Is Polson Middle School a good school?
Polson Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Polson Elem?
Besides Polson Middle School, Polson Elem also operates Linderman School (355 students) and Cherry Valley School (243 students). See the Polson 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.