- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · East Helena, MT
Prickly Pear Elem
Federal NCES profile for Prickly Pear Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 300065501122
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prickly Pear Elem earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in East Helena · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Montana
- 269
- students enrolled
Prickly Pear Elem has class sizes larger than 83% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prickly Pear Elem ranks #4 of 5 public schools in East Helena, MT.
School address
District: East Helena K-12 · Montana
NCES ID 300065501122 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+13 students YoY
Prickly Pear Elem held near 285 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+13 headcount).
Teacher FTE held 17.6 → 17.6 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
+13 students YoY 300065501122 · East Helena, MT Elementary · SMALL · TRAD
269 enr · 15.8:1 · RII 32
Nearest enrollment peer: East Helena High School (563 students)
Prickly Pear Elem held near 285 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+13 headcount). Teacher FTE held 17.6 → 17.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Montana schools → · Find another →
Prickly Pear Elem in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- East Helena Hi
East Helena High School
563 students
- East Valley Mi
East Valley Middle School
471 students
- Radley Element
Radley Elementary School
428 students
- This school
Prickly Pear Elem
269 students
- Eastgate Schoo 161
Eastgate School
161 students
What this shows Prickly Pear Elem reports 269 students on the CCD universe file.
How Prickly Pear Elem compares
Prickly Pear Elem held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 83% in Montana - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.1%
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
$10,003
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,859
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 84.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.9, Prickly Pear Elem is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
District finance for East Helena K-12 reports $10,003 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Prickly Pear Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Helena High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Valley Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Radley Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastgate School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prickly Pear Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in East Helena
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~269 students)
Frequently asked questions about Prickly Pear Elem
How many students attend Prickly Pear Elem?
Prickly Pear Elem has 269 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in East Helena, MT. CCD year-over-year: 272 (2022-23) → 285 (2023-24), nearly flat (+13).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prickly Pear Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Prickly Pear Elem is 15.8:1, which is 34% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prickly Pear Elem?
The largest demographic group at Prickly Pear Elem is White at 84.4% of enrollment, in East Helena, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prickly Pear Elem?
Prickly Pear Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Prickly Pear Elem rank among public schools in East Helena?
By Resource Investment Index, Prickly Pear Elem ranks #4 of 5 public schools in East Helena, 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 East Helena on the city page.
What other schools are in East Helena K-12?
Besides Prickly Pear Elem, East Helena K-12 also operates East Helena High School (563 students), East Valley Middle School (471 students), and Radley Elementary School (428 students). See the East Helena K-12 district page for the complete list.