Enrollment
503
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300528000906
West Elementary School — Butte, MT
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 17/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Butte Elem · Montana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Elementary School reports 503 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 31.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% above the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 503 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Butte Elem spends $14,590 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.4% from local sources (property taxes), 48.3% from the state, and 11.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 26% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 503 | top 93% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 26% above state mean
Top 76% in Montana — lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,590
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 503 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
Enrollment 503 Top 93% in Montana — larger than 7% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 31.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300528000906
Student demographics
White 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 82.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 503:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.5%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Butte Elem, which includes West Elementary School.
$14,590
Per student
-32%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 48.3%
Federal 11.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
Similar other schools in Butte
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hillcrest School
Standard public school
412 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
Emerson School
Standard public school
389 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Whittier School
Standard public school
383 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Margaret Leary School
Standard public school
359 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Kennedy School
Standard public school
219 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Elementary School
How many students attend West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has 503 students enrolled. It is a other school in Butte, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 26% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary School is White at 82.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Butte, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.