Enrollment
106
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bigfork, MT
Swan River School
Federal NCES profile for Swan River School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302550000730
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Swan River School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Bigfork · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 106
- students enrolled
Swan River School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Swan River School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Bigfork, MT.
School address
District: Swan River Elem · Montana
NCES ID 302550000730 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swan River School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Swan River School
Swan River School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bigfork, Montana, enrolling 106 students.
At 11.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Montana median, within a few percentage points of the 11.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 106 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
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 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 212 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Swan River Elem spends $8,358 per pupil, 57% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bigfork's public schools, it stands alongside Bigfork Elementary (343 students): Swan River School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 11.8:1).
Its district, Swan River Elem, also runs Swan River 6-8 (52 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 Swan River School compares
Swan River 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 106 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
106
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 46% in Montana - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
60.4%
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
$8,358
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 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 90.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.6, Swan River School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Swan River Elem, which includes Swan River School.
$8,358
Per student
-57%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-50%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 50.2%
Federal 22.6%
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 Swan River School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan River 6-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Swan River School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 52
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Bigfork
1 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 (~106 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Swan River School's federal record.
- Compare Swan River School against another school. Compare schools
- Swan River 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 Swan River School
How many students attend Swan River School?
Swan River School has 106 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bigfork, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swan River School?
The student-teacher ratio at Swan River School is 11.8:1, which is 0% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swan River School?
The largest demographic group at Swan River School is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Bigfork, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swan River School?
Swan River School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Swan River School rank among public schools in Bigfork?
By Resource Investment Index, Swan River School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Bigfork, 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 Bigfork on the city page.
Is Swan River School a good school?
Swan River School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. 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 Swan River Elem?
Besides Swan River School, Swan River Elem also operates Swan River 6-8 (52 students). See the Swan River 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.