Missoula Elementary School District

909 South Ave West
Missoula, MT 59801
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

Missoula Elementary School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Montana for:

Category
Attribute
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 10%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public preschools serving 3,497 students in Missoula Elementary School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public pre schools in Montana.
Public Preschools in Missoula Elementary School District have an average math proficiency score of 56% (versus the Montana public pre school average of 41%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 47% statewide average).
The top ranked public preschools in Missoula Elementary School District are Rattlesnake Elementary School, Jeannette Rankin Elementary School and Paxson School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Minority enrollment is 18% of the student body (majority Hispanic and American Indian), which is less than the Montana public preschool average of 23% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (MT)
# Schools
13 Schools
395 Schools
# Students
5,177 Students
65,251 Students
# Teachers
359 Teachers
4,856 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Missoula Elementary School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 347 school districts in Montana (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
This School District
State Average (MT)
#77 out of 350 school districts
(Top 30%)
46%
35%
57%
46%
53%
37%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.32
0.40
% American Indian
5%
10%
% Asian
2%
1%
% Hispanic
6%
6%
% Black
2%
1%
% White
82%
77%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,975 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,263. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,274 is less than the state median of $15,352. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (MT)
Total Revenue
$78 MM
$2,285 MM
Spending
$74 MM
$2,298 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,975
$15,263
Spending / Student
$14,274
$15,352

Best Missoula Elementary School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Rattlesnake Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 1%
1220 Pineview Drive
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4050
Grades: PK-5
| 407 students
Rank: #22.
Jeannette Rankin Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 67%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
5150 Bigfork Rd.
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4010
Grades: PK-5
| 463 students
Rank: #33.
Paxson School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
101 Evans
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4055
Grades: PK-5
| 418 students
Rank: #44.
Chief Charlo School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
5600 Longview Dr
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4005
Grades: PK-5
| 417 students
Rank: #55.
Lewis & Clark School
(Math: 54% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2901 Park
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4035
Grades: PK-5
| 423 students
Rank: #6 - 76. - 7.
Hawthorne School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
550 Hiberta St.
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4025
Grades: PK-5
| 377 students
Rank: #6 - 76. - 7.
Russell School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
3216 Russell Street
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4080
Grades: PK-5
| 385 students
Rank: #88.
Lowell School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1215 Phillips St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4040
Grades: PK-5
| 325 students
Rank: #99.
Franklin School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1910 S. 11th St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4020
Grades: PK-5
| 282 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 13 schools
  • Grades: PK-08
  • Enrollment: 5,177 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 18%
  • : Top 30% in MT
  • : 46% (Top 50%)
  • : 57% (Top 20%)
  • : 53% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MT Dept. of Education

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