Enrollment
503
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Butte, MT
West Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300528000906
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Montana schools.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Butte · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 503
- students enrolled
West Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Butte, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary School
West Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Butte, Montana, enrolling 503 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Montana schools and 37% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 93% of state schools at 503 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 503 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Butte Elem spends $10,930 per pupil, 43% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Butte's public schools, it stands alongside Hillcrest School (412 students): West Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 19.6:1).
Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students) and Hillcrest School (412 students) alongside West Elementary School.
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 West Elementary School compares
West Elementary 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 37% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 503 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
503
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 37% above state mean
Top 86% in Montana - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$10,930
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 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 30.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.6, West Elementary School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Butte Elem, which includes West Elementary School.
$10,930
Per student
-43%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How West Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whittier School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Margaret Leary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Butte
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hillcrest School
Standard public school
412 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Emerson School
Standard public school
389 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Whittier School
Standard public school
383 students 16:1 students per teacher
Margaret Leary School
Standard public school
359 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Kennedy School
Standard public school
219 students 12.2:1 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 (~503 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Butte 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 West Elementary School
How many students attend West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has 503 students enrolled. It is a public school in Butte, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 37% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary School is White at 82.7% of enrollment, in Butte, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (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 West Elementary School rank among schools in Butte?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 schools in Butte, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Butte on the city page.
Is West Elementary School a good school?
West Elementary School earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Butte Elem?
Besides West Elementary School, Butte Elem also operates East Middle School (664 students), Hillcrest School (412 students), and Emerson School (389 students). See the Butte 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.