Enrollment
262
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelby, MT
Shelby Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shelby Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302390000692
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelby Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 262
- students enrolled
Shelby Elementary School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Shelby, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelby Elementary School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelby Elementary School
Shelby Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelby, Montana, enrolling 262 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 262 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% 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.
Among Shelby's public schools, it stands alongside Cam Rose School (28 students): Shelby Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 28:1).
Shelby Elem also operates Shelby 7-8 (109 students) and Cam Rose School (28 students) alongside Shelby Elementary School.
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 Elementary School compares
Shelby Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 65% in Montana - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
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 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 67.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 12.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.5%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 67.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Shelby Elementary School 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 Elementary School.
$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 Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby 7-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cam Rose School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Rose Colony School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelby Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 109
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 14
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Shelby
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelby Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shelby Elementary School 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 Elementary School
How many students attend Shelby Elementary School?
Shelby Elementary School has 262 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelby, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelby Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelby Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelby Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shelby Elementary School is White at 67.6% of enrollment, in Shelby, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelby Elementary School?
Shelby Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Elementary School rank among schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 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 schools in Shelby on the city page.
Is Shelby Elementary School a good school?
Shelby Elementary School earns 32/100 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 Shelby Elem?
Besides Shelby Elementary School, Shelby Elem also operates Shelby 7-8 (109 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.