Enrollment
27
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300010201116
Pondera Colony School — Valier, MT
Federal NCES profile for Pondera Colony School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 89
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: Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools · 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)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+123% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pondera Colony 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
Pondera Colony School reports 27 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 1.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 27:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 123% 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 70% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 54 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools spends $21,224 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.6% from local sources (property taxes), 32.8% from the state, and 19.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Pondera Colony 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 | 27:1 | ▲ 123% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 27 | top 26% | — | — |
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
27:1
students per teacher
— 123% above state mean
Top 100% in Montana — lower ratio than 0% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$21,224
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 54 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 27 Top 26% in Montana — larger than 74% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 1.0
Students per teacher 27:1 +123% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300010201116
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 54:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools, which includes Pondera Colony School.
$21,224
Per student
-1%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 32.8%
Federal 19.6%
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
- 36
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Enrollment
- 25
- Students per teacher
- 5.6:1
- Enrollment
- 18
- Students per teacher
- 7.5:1
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
Similar other schools in Valier
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 Pondera Colony School
How many students attend Pondera Colony School?
Pondera Colony School has 27 students enrolled. It is a other school in Valier, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pondera Colony School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pondera Colony School is 27:1, which is 123% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 70% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pondera Colony School?
Pondera Colony School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.