Enrollment
438
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300329000342
Ridge View Elementary — Belgrade, MT
Federal NCES profile for Ridge View Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 12
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: Belgrade Elem · 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)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridge View Elementary 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
Ridge View Elementary reports 438 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 30.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% 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 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 219 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Belgrade Elem spends $12,958 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.9% from local sources (property taxes), 37.8% from the state, and 18.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Ridge View Elementary 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 27% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 91% | — | — |
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
15.4:1
students per teacher
— 27% above state mean
Top 77% in Montana — lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,958
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 219 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. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 438 Top 91% in Montana — larger than 9% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 30.0
Students per teacher 15.4:1 +27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300329000342
Student demographics
White 82.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 219:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belgrade Elem, which includes Ridge View Elementary.
$12,958
Per student
-40%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 43.9%
State 37.8%
Federal 18.3%
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
- 978
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
Similar other schools in Belgrade
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Story Creek Elem
Standard public school
437 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Saddle Peak Elementary
Standard public school
416 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Springhill School
Standard public school
16 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Pass Creek School
Standard public school
14 students 6:1 students per teacher
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 Ridge View Elementary
How many students attend Ridge View Elementary?
Ridge View Elementary has 438 students enrolled. It is a other school in Belgrade, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridge View Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridge View Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 27% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridge View Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ridge View Elementary is White at 82.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Belgrade, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridge View Elementary?
Ridge View Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.