Enrollment
579
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Missoula, MT
Porter Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Porter Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 301857000565
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Porter Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Missoula · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 579
- students enrolled
Porter Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Missoula, MT.
School address
District: Missoula Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301857000565 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Porter Middle School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Porter Middle School
Porter Middle School is a large middle school in Missoula, Montana, enrolling 579 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 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 96% of state schools at 579 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (8%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Missoula Elem spends $12,776 per pupil, 34% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Missoula's middle schools, it stands alongside Washington Middle School (669 students): Porter Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 15.9:1).
Missoula Elem also operates Washington Middle School (669 students) and Jeannette Rankin El (457 students) alongside Porter 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 Porter Middle School compares
Porter 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 29% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 579 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
579
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 78% in Montana - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
56.5%
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
$12,776
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 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 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 77.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
African American 3.6%
Asian 3.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: White at 77.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.3, Porter 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 Missoula Elem, which includes Porter Middle School.
$12,776
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 39.6%
Federal 18.2%
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 Porter Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jeannette Rankin El | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lewis & Clark School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paxson School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Porter Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar middle schools in Missoula
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Washington Middle School
Standard public school
669 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Meadow Hill Middle School
Standard public school
414 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Hellgate Middle School
Standard public school
326 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Target Range 7-8
Standard public school
134 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Desmet 6-8
Standard public school
37 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~579 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Porter Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Porter Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Missoula 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 Porter Middle School
How many students attend Porter Middle School?
Porter Middle School has 579 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Missoula, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Porter Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Porter Middle School is 15.2:1, which is 29% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Porter Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Porter Middle School is White at 77.7% of enrollment, in Missoula, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Porter Middle School?
Porter Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Porter Middle School rank among middle schools in Missoula?
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Missoula, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Missoula on the city page.
Is Porter Middle School a good school?
Porter Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana. 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 Missoula Elem?
Besides Porter Middle School, Missoula Elem also operates Washington Middle School (669 students), Jeannette Rankin El (457 students), and Lewis & Clark School (429 students). See the Missoula 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.