Enrollment
109
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Shelby, MT
Shelby 7-8
Federal NCES profile for Shelby 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 302390000693
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 78
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelby 7-8 earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 109
- students enrolled
Shelby 7-8 has class sizes larger than 95% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby 7-8 ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Shelby, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelby 7-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelby 7-8
Shelby 7-8 is a mid-sized middle school in Shelby, Montana, enrolling 109 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 95% of Montana schools and 54% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 109 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (10%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 109 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Shelby Elem spends $10,605 per pupil, 45% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Shelby Elem also operates Shelby Elementary School (262 students) and Cam Rose School (28 students) alongside Shelby 7-8.
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 Shelby 7-8 compares
Shelby 7-8 on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.2:1 | ▲ 54% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 109 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
109
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 54% above state mean
Top 95% in Montana - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$10,605
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 109 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 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 73.4%
Two or More 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.5%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: White at 73.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, Shelby 7-8 is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby Elem, which includes Shelby 7-8.
$10,605
Per student
-45%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.7%
State 41.6%
Federal 12.7%
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 Shelby 7-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cam Rose School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Rose Colony School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelby 7-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 14
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~109 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelby 7-8's federal record.
- Compare Shelby 7-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby 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 Shelby 7-8
How many students attend Shelby 7-8?
Shelby 7-8 has 109 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Shelby, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelby 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelby 7-8 is 18.2:1, which is 54% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelby 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Shelby 7-8 is White at 73.4% of enrollment, in Shelby, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelby 7-8?
Shelby 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Shelby 7-8 rank among public schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby 7-8 ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Shelby, 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 Shelby on the city page.
Is Shelby 7-8 a good school?
Shelby 7-8 earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Montana schools. 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 Shelby Elem?
Besides Shelby 7-8, Shelby Elem also operates Shelby Elementary School (262 students), Cam Rose School (28 students), and Big Rose Colony School (14 students). See the Shelby 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.