Enrollment
248
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Laurel, MT
West School
Federal NCES profile for West School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 301620000499
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Laurel · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 248
- students enrolled
West School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Laurel, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West School
West School is a mid-sized elementary school in Laurel, Montana, enrolling 248 students.
At 13.1:1, 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.
Enrollment of 248 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Laurel Elem spends $12,716 per pupil, 34% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Laurel's elementary schools, it stands alongside Laurel Middle School (506 students): West School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 14.9:1).
Laurel Elem also operates Laurel Middle School (506 students) and Fred W Graff School (245 students) alongside West 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 School compares
West 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 | 13.1:1 | ▲ 11% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 248 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
248
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 59% in Montana - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.4%
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
$12,716
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 85.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 85.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.6, West School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurel Elem, which includes West School.
$12,716
Per student
-34%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 40.1%
Federal 16.3%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fred W Graff School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| South School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 158
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Laurel
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~248 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West School's federal record.
- Compare West School against another school. Compare schools
- Laurel 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 School
How many students attend West School?
West School has 248 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Laurel, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West School?
The student-teacher ratio at West School is 13.1:1, which is 11% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West School?
The largest demographic group at West School is White at 85.1% of enrollment, in Laurel, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West School?
West School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 West School rank among elementary schools in Laurel?
By Resource Investment Index, West School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Laurel, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Laurel on the city page.
Is West School a good school?
West School earns 39/100 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 Laurel Elem?
Besides West School, Laurel Elem also operates Laurel Middle School (506 students), Fred W Graff School (245 students), and South School (158 students). See the Laurel 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.