Montana · NCES F-33 finance data
School Funding Equity in Montana 141 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.
Compiled by PlainSchools , Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026
38 State avg score
49 National avg score
141 Districts ranked The equity picture in one line
Heart Butte K-12 Schools ranks first in Montana for funding equity at 74/100, in a state whose districts average 38 against a national average of 49.
74/100 top score (Heart Butte K-12 Schools)
$29,918 per-pupil spending in the top district
4 districts scoring 70 or higher
45 districts below 30 # District Enrollment $/Pupil Free Lunch Local Rev % Score 1 Heart Butte K-12 Schools 208 $29,918 - 12.1% 74 2 Poplar Elem 596 $22,549 - 12.8% 72 3 Browning Elem 1,266 $21,449 - 13.7% 71 4 Arlee Elem 270 $20,185 - 16.1% 71 5 Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls 248 $27,782 - 9.8% 69 6 Hardin Elem 1,284 $17,138 - 17.3% 68 7 Wolf Point Elem 511 $16,053 - 10.7% 67 8 Lodge Grass Elem 274 $18,982 - 13.1% 67 9 St Ignatius K-12 Schools 480 $16,181 - 22.1% 66 10 Wolf Point H S 225 $17,182 - 26.7% 65 11 Harlem Elem 467 $16,186 - 12.5% 64 12 Lame Deer Elem 382 $20,335 - 8.8% 64 13 Victor K-12 Schools 236 $17,242 - 31.3% 63 14 Anaconda Elem 740 $15,789 - 28.5% 62 15 Rocky Boy Elem 486 $21,245 - 5.5% 61 16 Poplar H S 276 $18,170 - 14.2% 61 17 Livingston Elem 837 $14,667 - 34.9% 60 18 Troy Elem 283 $17,314 - 27.0% 60 19 Evergreen Elem 651 $15,048 - 32.7% 59 20 Colstrip Elem 366 $19,131 - 42.1% 59 21 Box Elder Elem 303 $21,294 - 10.6% 59 22 Baker K-12 Schools 451 $19,184 - 40.0% 56 23 Sidney H S 387 $17,424 - 36.7% 56 24 Superior K-12 Schools 324 $14,978 - 40.8% 56 25 Bonner Elem 356 $13,657 - 34.1% 55 26 Harlowton K-12 258 $19,101 - 49.3% 52 27 Park City Elem 224 $12,036 - 30.7% 52 28 Malta K-12 Schools 519 $13,218 - 38.5% 51 29 Darby K-12 Schools 326 $15,285 - 43.9% 51 30 Chinook Elem 228 $14,728 - 37.5% 51 31 Boulder Elem 218 $15,697 - 29.3% 51 32 Forsyth Elem 202 $14,223 - 43.9% 51 33 Ronan Elem 1,105 $12,176 - 14.8% 50 34 Glendive Elem 782 $14,702 - 39.1% 50 35 Cut Bank Elem 551 $12,822 - 32.3% 50 36 Stevensville H S 349 $16,573 - 43.4% 50 37 Whitehall Elem 328 $12,485 - 20.8% 49 38 Polson Elem 1,173 $12,918 - 32.6% 47 39 Thompson Falls Elem 320 $13,672 - 43.4% 47 40 Centerville Elem 237 $10,945 - 31.0% 47 41 Cut Bank H S 227 $16,070 - 53.3% 47 42 Huntley Project K-12 Schools 773 $15,530 - 38.8% 46 43 Browning H S 563 $17,004 - 18.2% 46 44 Twin Bridges K-12 Schools 210 $16,905 - 49.8% 46 45 Miles City Elem 953 $12,293 - 28.5% 45 46 Plains K-12 453 $13,159 - 31.2% 45 47 Fort Benton Elem 249 $11,145 - 36.9% 45 48 Anaconda H S 281 $15,594 - 43.9% 44 49 Glasgow K-12 Schools 769 $13,532 - 46.4% 42 50 Park H S 418 $14,813 - 55.7% 42 51 Plentywood K-12 Schools 371 $14,367 - 48.0% 42 52 Frenchtown K-12 Schools 1,443 $11,281 - 34.7% 41 53 Big Sky School K-12 432 $15,410 - 83.8% 41 54 Hamilton K-12 Schools 1,666 $11,260 - 35.7% 40 55 Ronan H S 416 $13,228 - 24.8% 40 56 Conrad Elem 342 $13,892 - 37.0% 40 57 Lone Rock Elem 254 $10,484 - 31.7% 40 58 Shepherd H S 253 $14,115 - 54.7% 40 59 Missoula Elem 5,280 $13,401 - 42.2% 38 60 Helena Elem 5,225 $13,752 - 41.1% 38 61 Helena H S 2,514 $13,044 - 44.0% 38 62 Libby K-12 Schools 1,164 $12,407 - 26.3% 38 63 Polson H S 524 $14,395 - 46.4% 38 64 Manhattan High School 239 $15,042 - 53.5% 38 65 Smith Valley Elem 224 $10,621 - 29.4% 38 66 Missoula H S 3,966 $13,142 - 47.8% 37 67 Corvallis K-12 Schools 1,342 $10,829 - 29.3% 37 68 Hardin H S 512 $13,494 - 35.1% 37 69 Eureka Elem 497 $13,268 - 29.7% 37 70 Manhattan School 483 $11,112 - 40.9% 37 71 Dawson H S 343 $13,329 - 49.2% 37 72 Great Falls Elem 7,032 $12,146 - 33.9% 36 73 Lewistown Elem 888 $11,521 - 34.4% 36 74 Lolo Elem 507 $12,874 - 42.5% 36 75 Red Lodge Elem 328 $12,104 - 47.9% 36 76 Fairfield Elem 207 $11,850 - 42.5% 35 77 Sidney Elem 856 $12,008 - 34.3% 34 78 Deer Lodge Elem 426 $12,286 - 41.6% 34 79 Butte H S 1,317 $14,554 - 37.9% 33 80 Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls 790 $11,908 - 45.3% 33 81 Lockwood K-12 1,718 $11,727 - 43.9% 32 82 Columbia Falls H S 687 $13,421 - 42.4% 32 83 Fergus H S 356 $14,051 - 57.8% 32 84 Canyon Creek Elem 234 $11,624 - 39.7% 32 85 Ennis K-12 Schools 422 $13,874 - 64.2% 31 86 West Yellowstone K-12 287 $13,324 - 59.5% 31 87 Joliet Elem 270 $10,874 - 40.8% 31 88 Clinton Elem 214 $12,631 - 37.5% 31 89 Billings Elem 10,988 $12,015 - 36.9% 30 90 Columbia Falls Elem 1,562 $11,977 - 43.9% 30 91 Laurel Elem 1,272 $12,438 - 43.6% 30 92 Havre Elem 1,199 $12,094 - 29.6% 30 93 Townsend K-12 Schools 706 $12,363 - 49.1% 30 94 Shepherd Elem 562 $10,165 - 31.8% 30 95 Three Forks Elem 523 $11,141 - 36.1% 30 96 Roundup Elem 407 $11,486 - 39.1% 30 97 Whitefish H S 581 $14,611 - 60.3% 29 98 Choteau Elem 255 $12,192 - 34.0% 29 99 Thompson Falls H S 201 $14,373 - 50.2% 29 100 Belgrade Elem 2,374 $11,571 - 43.9% 28 101 Montana City Elem 475 $10,735 - 42.3% 28 102 Scobey K-12 Schools 286 $14,983 - 51.2% 28 103 Jefferson H S 284 $15,208 - 47.1% 28 104 Kalispell Elem 3,095 $12,053 - 41.8% 27 105 Somers Elem 555 $10,697 - 47.3% 27 106 Belt Elem 271 $10,635 - 37.5% 27 107 Billings H S 5,610 $12,233 - 41.5% 26 108 Beaverhead County H S 339 $16,794 - 57.9% 26 109 Cayuse Prairie Elem 304 $11,674 - 36.7% 26 110 Independent Elem 297 $9,953 - 36.3% 26 111 Dillon Elem 780 $11,122 - 35.8% 25 112 Helena Flats Elem 280 $9,157 - 28.1% 25 113 Bigfork H S 354 $12,895 - 55.1% 24 114 Lincoln County H S 306 $9,905 - 44.1% 24 115 Whitefish Elem 1,313 $12,488 - 58.2% 23 116 Target Range Elem 574 $10,371 - 32.3% 23 117 Custer County H S 495 $11,958 - 47.4% 23 118 Butte Elem 2,966 $10,585 - 40.4% 22 119 West Valley Elem 762 $10,310 - 37.2% 22 120 Havre H S 531 $12,893 - 48.0% 22 121 Cascade Elem 221 $10,864 - 36.0% 22 122 Laurel H S 619 $11,553 - 53.4% 21 123 Anderson Elem 209 $12,512 - 53.4% 21 124 Columbus H S 244 $13,316 - 61.8% 20 125 Bozeman H S 2,631 $13,794 - 67.9% 19 126 East Helena K-12 1,952 $10,003 - 38.9% 19 127 Columbus Elem 469 $11,989 - 55.5% 19 128 Flathead H S 3,101 $11,591 - 51.2% 18 129 Hellgate Elem 1,498 $11,166 - 45.3% 18 130 Belgrade H S 994 $10,923 - 57.0% 18 131 Shelby Elem 390 $12,115 - 45.7% 18 132 Big Timber Elem 318 $10,852 - 50.4% 18 133 Bozeman Elem 4,651 $10,840 - 49.6% 17 134 Stevensville Elem 656 $9,480 - 45.3% 16 135 Great Falls H S 3,095 $10,583 - 52.2% 14 136 Elder Grove Elem 689 $9,504 - 43.4% 12 137 Elysian Elem 451 $10,324 - 53.5% 11 138 Monforton Elem 669 $9,357 - 47.6% 10 139 Clancy Elem 385 $9,384 - 50.8% 10 140 Three Forks H S 278 $10,396 - 53.6% 6 141 Bigfork Elem 610 $10,189 - 53.4% 5
How the Equity Score Works
The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to
the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23),
which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the
spending differences the score captures; our methodology
documents each weight:
Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)
Higher spending relative to peers
Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)
Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest
Funding Diversity (0-25)
Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support
Resource Access (0-25)
Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention
Read our methodology
- how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.