Enrollment
70
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 302196000651
Rau School — Sidney, MT
Federal NCES profile for Rau School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 75
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
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)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rau 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
Rau School reports 70 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% below the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 38% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 10.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rau Elem spends $14,115 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.7% from local sources (property taxes), 45.8% from the state, and 12.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), 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 Rau 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 | 9.9:1 | ▼ 18% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 70 | top 47% | — | — |
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
9.9:1
students per teacher
— 18% below state mean
Top 30% in Montana — lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
10.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,115
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 70 Top 47% in Montana — larger than 53% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 9.9:1 -18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 302196000651
Student demographics
White 90.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: White at 90.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 10.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rau Elem, which includes Rau School.
$14,115
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 41.7%
State 45.8%
Federal 12.4%
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.
Similar other schools in Sidney
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 Rau School
How many students attend Rau School?
Rau School has 70 students enrolled. It is a other school in Sidney, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rau School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rau School is 9.9:1, which is 18% lower than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rau School?
The largest demographic group at Rau School is White at 90.0%. The school serves a student body in Sidney, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rau School?
Rau School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.