Enrollment
288
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sidney, MT
West Side Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Side Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302420001110
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Side Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Sidney · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 288
- students enrolled
West Side Elementary has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Side Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Sidney, MT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Side Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Side Elementary
West Side Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sidney, Montana, enrolling 288 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 288 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 (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 288 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Sidney Elem spends $11,705 per pupil, 39% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sidney's public schools, it stands alongside Rau School (70 students): West Side Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.7:1 vs 10:1).
Sidney Elem also operates Sidney Middle School (319 students) and Central Elementary (272 students) alongside West Side Elementary.
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 Side Elementary compares
West Side Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
288
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 63% in Montana - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$11,705
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 288 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 86.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.6, West Side Elementary is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sidney Elem, which includes West Side Elementary.
$11,705
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 48.9%
Federal 16.8%
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 Side Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Side Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Sidney
2 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 (~288 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Side Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Side Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sidney 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 Side Elementary
How many students attend West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary has 288 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sidney, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Side Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Side Elementary is 13.7:1, which is 16% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Side Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Side Elementary is White at 86.5% of enrollment, in Sidney, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Side Elementary?
West Side Elementary 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 Side Elementary rank among schools in Sidney?
By Resource Investment Index, West Side Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Sidney, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sidney on the city page.
Is West Side Elementary a good school?
West Side Elementary 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 Sidney Elem?
Besides West Side Elementary, Sidney Elem also operates Sidney Middle School (319 students) and Central Elementary (272 students). See the Sidney 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.