Enrollment
416
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Belgrade, MT
Saddle Peak Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Saddle Peak Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300329001111
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Saddle Peak Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Belgrade · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 416
- students enrolled
Saddle Peak Elementary has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Saddle Peak Elementary ranks #4 of 5 schools in Belgrade, MT.
School address
District: Belgrade Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300329001111 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Saddle Peak Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Saddle Peak Elementary
Saddle Peak Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Belgrade, Montana, enrolling 416 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.4:1 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 90% of state schools at 416 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Belgrade Elem spends $11,061 per pupil, 43% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Belgrade's public schools, it stands alongside Ridge View Elementary (438 students): Saddle Peak Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 14.6:1).
Belgrade Elem also operates Belgrade Middle School (978 students) and Ridge View Elementary (438 students) alongside Saddle Peak Elementary.
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 Saddle Peak Elementary compares
Saddle Peak Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.4:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 61% in Montana - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$11,061
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 333 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
- 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 71.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.6, Saddle Peak Elementary is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belgrade Elem, which includes Saddle Peak Elementary.
$11,061
Per student
-43%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Saddle Peak Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgrade Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridge View Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Story Creek Elem | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Saddle Peak Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 978
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Belgrade
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Ridge View Elementary
Standard public school
438 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Story Creek Elem
Standard public school
437 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Springhill School
Standard public school
16 students 8:1 students per teacher
Pass Creek School
Standard public school
14 students 7:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~416 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Saddle Peak Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Saddle Peak Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Belgrade 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 Saddle Peak Elementary
How many students attend Saddle Peak Elementary?
Saddle Peak Elementary has 416 students enrolled. It is a public school in Belgrade, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Saddle Peak Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Saddle Peak Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 14% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Saddle Peak Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Saddle Peak Elementary is White at 71.6% of enrollment, in Belgrade, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Saddle Peak Elementary?
Saddle Peak Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Saddle Peak Elementary rank among schools in Belgrade?
By Resource Investment Index, Saddle Peak Elementary ranks #4 of 5 schools in Belgrade, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Belgrade on the city page.
Is Saddle Peak Elementary a good school?
Saddle Peak Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools. 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 Belgrade Elem?
Besides Saddle Peak Elementary, Belgrade Elem also operates Belgrade Middle School (978 students), Ridge View Elementary (438 students), and Story Creek Elem (437 students). See the Belgrade 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.