Enrollment
342
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shepherd, MT
Shepherd Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Shepherd Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302394000695
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shepherd Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Montana schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Shepherd · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Montana
- 342
- students enrolled
Shepherd Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Shepherd, MT.
School address
District: Shepherd Elem · Montana
NCES ID 302394000695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shepherd Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shepherd Elementary
Shepherd Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shepherd, Montana, enrolling 342 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 342 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 predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Shepherd Elem spends $11,221 per pupil, 42% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Shepherd Elem, also runs Shepherd Middle School (180 students).
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 Shepherd Elementary compares
Shepherd 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 26% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 75% in Montana - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$11,221
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 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 91.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
African American 1.2%
Two or More 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Shepherd Elementary is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shepherd Elem, which includes Shepherd Elementary.
$11,221
Per student
-42%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.8%
State 44.9%
Federal 23.3%
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 Shepherd Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shepherd Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 180
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~342 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shepherd Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Shepherd Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Shepherd 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 Shepherd Elementary
How many students attend Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shepherd, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary is 14.9:1, which is 26% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shepherd Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Shepherd Elementary is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Shepherd, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Shepherd Elementary rank among public schools in Shepherd?
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Shepherd, 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 Shepherd on the city page.
Is Shepherd Elementary a good school?
Shepherd Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of 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 Shepherd Elem?
Besides Shepherd Elementary, Shepherd Elem also operates Shepherd Middle School (180 students). See the Shepherd 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.