Missoula Elementary School District

909 South Ave West
Missoula, MT 59801
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
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 2026 school year, there are 9 public preschools serving 3,497 students in Missoula Elementary School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public pre schools in Montana.
Public Preschools in Missoula Elementary School District have an average math proficiency score of 57% (versus the Montana public pre school average of 42%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 47% statewide average).
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
392 Schools
# Students
5,177 Students
65,184 Students
# Teachers
359 Teachers
4,849 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Missoula Elementary School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 333 school districts in Montana (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
This School District
State Average (MT)
#38 out of 350 school districts
(Top 20%)
49%
37%
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 $15,270. The school district revenue/student has grown by 22% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,274 is less than the state median of $15,359. The school district spending/student has grown by 18% 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
$15,270
Spending / Student
$14,274
$15,359

Best Missoula Elementary School District Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Rattlesnake Elementary School
(Math: 68% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
1220 Pineview Drive
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4050
Gr: PK-5 | 407 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 11%
Rank: #22.
Jeannette Rankin Elementary School
(Math: 69% | Reading: 67%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
5150 Bigfork Rd.
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4010
Gr: PK-5 | 463 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 9%
Rank: #33.
Chief Charlo School
(Math: 63% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
5600 Longview Dr
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4005
Gr: PK-5 | 417 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 16%
Rank: #44.
Paxson School
(Math: 62% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
101 Evans
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4055
Gr: PK-5 | 418 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #55.
Lewis & Clark School
(Math: 54% | Reading: 62%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2901 Park
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4035
Gr: PK-5 | 423 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
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
Gr: PK-5 | 377 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 21%
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
Gr: PK-5 | 385 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 23%
Rank: #88.
Lowell School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1215 Phillips St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4040
Gr: PK-5 | 325 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 22%
Rank: #99.
Franklin School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1910 S. 11th St
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 542-4020
Gr: PK-5 | 282 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 25%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 13 schools
  • Grades: PK-08
  • Enrollment: 5,177 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 18%
  • : Top 20% in MT
  • : 49% (Top 20%)
  • : 57% (Top 20%)
  • : 53% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), MT Dept. of Education

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