Enrollment
114
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Townsend, MT
Townsend 7-8
Federal NCES profile for Townsend 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300498000935
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Townsend 7-8 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Montana schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Townsend · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- large classes for Montana
- 114
- students enrolled
Townsend 7-8 has class sizes larger than 70% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Townsend 7-8 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Townsend, MT.
School address
District: Townsend K-12 Schools · Montana
NCES ID 300498000935 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Townsend 7-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Townsend 7-8
Townsend 7-8 is a mid-sized middle school in Townsend, Montana, enrolling 114 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 114 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 271 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Townsend K-12 Schools spends $12,223 per pupil, 37% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Townsend K-12 Schools also operates Cecelia Hazelton School (423 students) and Broadwater High School (196 students) alongside Townsend 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 Townsend 7-8 compares
Townsend 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 21% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 114 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
114
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 70% in Montana - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
59.6%
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
$12,223
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
Counselors0.4 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 88.6%
Two or More 6.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.9, Townsend 7-8 is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Townsend K-12 Schools, which includes Townsend 7-8.
$12,223
Per student
-37%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 37.3%
Federal 13.6%
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 Townsend 7-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cecelia Hazelton School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broadwater High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Townsend 7-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~114 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Townsend 7-8's federal record.
- Compare Townsend 7-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Townsend K-12 Schools'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 Townsend 7-8
How many students attend Townsend 7-8?
Townsend 7-8 has 114 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Townsend, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Townsend 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Townsend 7-8 is 14.3:1, which is 21% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Townsend 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Townsend 7-8 is White at 88.6% of enrollment, in Townsend, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Townsend 7-8?
Townsend 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Townsend 7-8 rank among public schools in Townsend?
By Resource Investment Index, Townsend 7-8 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Townsend, 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 Townsend on the city page.
Is Townsend 7-8 a good school?
Townsend 7-8 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Townsend K-12 Schools?
Besides Townsend 7-8, Townsend K-12 Schools also operates Cecelia Hazelton School (423 students) and Broadwater High School (196 students). See the Townsend K-12 Schools 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.