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
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.
Overall District Rank
#77 out of 350 school districts
(Top 30%)
(Top 30%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
46%
35%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
57%
46%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
53%
37%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.32
0.40
# American Indian Students
267 Students
6,505 Students
% American Indian Students
5%
10%
# Asian Students
91 Students
357 Students
% Asian Students
2%
1%
# Hispanic Students
282 Students
4,243 Students
% Hispanic Students
6%
6%
# Black Students
113 Students
459 Students
% Black Students
2%
1%
# White Students
4,266 Students
50,046 Students
% White Students
82%
77%
# Hawaiian Students
12 Students
111 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
146 Students
3,530 Students
% of Two or more races Students
3%
5%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
12
1,059
# Students in K Grade:
548
11,907
# Students in 1st Grade:
535
10,512
# Students in 2nd Grade:
594
10,623
# Students in 3rd Grade:
610
9,606
# Students in 4th Grade:
622
9,406
# Students in 5th Grade:
576
8,220
# Students in 6th Grade:
569
3,620
# Students in 7th Grade:
542
158
# Students in 8th Grade:
569
140
# Students in 9th Grade:
-
-
# Students in 10th Grade:
-
-
# Students in 11th Grade:
-
-
# Students in 12th Grade:
-
-
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
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.
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)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Rattlesnake Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 1%10
1220 Pineview Drive
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4050
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4050
Grades: PK-5
| 407 students
Rank: #22.
Jeannette Rankin Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 67%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
5150 Bigfork Rd.
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4010
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4010
Grades: PK-5
| 463 students
Rank: #33.
Paxson School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
101 Evans
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4055
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4055
Grades: PK-5
| 418 students
Rank: #44.
Chief Charlo School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
5600 Longview Dr
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4005
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4005
Grades: PK-5
| 417 students
Rank: #55.
Lewis & Clark School
(Math: 54% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
2901 Park
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4035
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4035
Grades: PK-5
| 423 students
Rank: #6 - 76. - 7.
Hawthorne School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
550 Hiberta St.
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4025
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4025
Grades: PK-5
| 377 students
Rank: #6 - 76. - 7.
Russell School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
3216 Russell Street
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4080
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4080
Grades: PK-5
| 385 students
Rank: #88.
Lowell School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
1215 Phillips St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4040
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4040
Grades: PK-5
| 325 students
Rank: #99.
Franklin School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
1910 S. 11th St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4020
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4020
Grades: PK-5
| 282 students
Recent Articles
Year-Round Or Traditional Schedule?
Which is more appropriate for your child? A year-round attendance schedule or traditional schedule? We look at the pros and cons.
Why You Should Encourage Your Child to Join a Sports Team
Participating in team sports has a great many benefits for children, there is no doubt. In this article you will learn what those benefits are.
White Students are Now the Minority in U.S. Public Schools
Increasing birth rates among immigrant families from Asia and Central and South America, combined with lower birth rates among white families, means that for the first time in history, public school students in the United States are majority-minority. This shift in demographics poses difficulties for schools as they work to accommodate children of varying language abilities and socio-economic backgrounds.
