Darby K-12 Schools

209 School Drive
Darby, MT 59829
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public elementary school serving 170 students in Darby K-12 Schools. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in Montana.
Public Elementary School in Darby K-12 School have an average math proficiency score of 37% (versus the Montana public elementary school average of 38%), and reading proficiency score of 37% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 12% of the student body (majority Hispanic and American Indian), which is less than the Montana public elementary school average of 24% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (MT)
# Schools
3 Schools
527 Schools
# Students
334 Students
95,259 Students
# Teachers
26 Teachers
6,860 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Darby K-12 Schools, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 333 school districts in Montana (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 70% has decreased from 80% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (MT)
#188 out of 350 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
33%
37%
35-39%
46%
30-34%
37%
70%
86%
(2022-23)
41.1%
35.9%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.23
0.41
% American Indian
3%
10%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
5%
7%
% Black
1%
1%
% White
88%
76%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,464 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,499. The school district revenue/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,683 is less than the state median of $15,589. The school district spending/student has declined by 43% over four school years.
This School District
This State (MT)
Total Revenue
$5 MM
$2,285 MM
Spending
$5 MM
$2,298 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,464
$15,499
Spending / Student
$13,683
$15,589

Best Darby K-12 Schools Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Darby School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
209 School Drive
Darby, MT 59829
(406) 821-3643
Gr: PK-6 | 170 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 12%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 334 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 12%
  • : 70% (Top 30% in MT)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 33% (Top 50%)
  • : 35-39% (Btm 50%)
  • : 30-34% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MT Dept. of Education

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