Enrollment
437
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Belgrade, MT
Story Creek Elem
Federal NCES profile for Story Creek Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300329001131
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Story Creek Elem earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Belgrade · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.1:1
- large classes for Montana
- 437
- students enrolled
Story Creek Elem has class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Story Creek Elem ranks #5 of 5 schools in Belgrade, MT.
School address
District: Belgrade Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300329001131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Story Creek Elem compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Story Creek Elem
Story Creek Elem is a large combined-grade school in Belgrade, Montana, enrolling 437 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 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 91% of state schools at 437 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% 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.
Among Belgrade's public schools, it stands alongside Ridge View Elementary (438 students): Story Creek Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.1:1 vs 14.6:1).
Belgrade Elem also operates Belgrade Middle School (978 students) and Ridge View Elementary (438 students) alongside Story Creek Elem.
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 Story Creek Elem compares
Story Creek Elem on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 28% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 78% in Montana - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.2%
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 364 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.
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 80.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 80.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.0, Story Creek Elem is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belgrade Elem, which includes Story Creek Elem.
$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 Story Creek Elem 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 |
| Saddle Peak Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Story Creek Elem'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
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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
Saddle Peak Elementary
Standard public school
416 students 13.4:1 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 (~437 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Story Creek Elem's federal record.
- Compare Story Creek Elem 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 Story Creek Elem
How many students attend Story Creek Elem?
Story Creek Elem has 437 students enrolled. It is a public school in Belgrade, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Story Creek Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Story Creek Elem is 15.1:1, which is 28% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Story Creek Elem?
The largest demographic group at Story Creek Elem is White at 80.8% of enrollment, in Belgrade, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Story Creek Elem?
Story Creek Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Story Creek Elem rank among schools in Belgrade?
By Resource Investment Index, Story Creek Elem ranks #5 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 Story Creek Elem a good school?
Story Creek Elem earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Belgrade Elem?
Besides Story Creek Elem, Belgrade Elem also operates Belgrade Middle School (978 students), Ridge View Elementary (438 students), and Saddle Peak Elementary (416 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.