Montana is in the running for the title of the most geographically dazzling state, with its towering peaks, thousands of snaking rivers, and diverse wildlife. However, the state is merely average in terms of public education, with math and reading proficiency rates around the 50% mark.
Despite this, Montana is home to a number of high-performing, well-rounded school districts that balance academic achievement with vigorous athletic programs. Here’s a look at the state’s five best school districts, all of which are high school districts, as Montana separates them for statistical purposes.
Bozeman High School District is the best public school system in Montana. Consisting of Bozeman High School and school-within-a-school Bridger Charter Academy, the district has an above-average graduation rate and 71% of its students are college or career ready.
Earning the 2nd spot in the ranking is Billings High School District, which comprises three high schools in the state’s largest city. The district places a focus on STEM education and its schools have flourishing athletics programs.
Beaverhead County High School District places 3rd in the rankings. Consisting of a single high school in the small town of Dillon, Beaverhead students graduate at a rate over ten percentage points higher than the statewide rate.
Montana’s 4th best school district is Missoula High School District, made up of four high schools in Missoula and Seeley Lake. The district’s students benefit from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.2.
Rounding out Montana’s top five is Park High School District, comprising a single high school in the town of Livingston, which lies just north of Yellowstone National Park. Students of Park High School are 60% proficient in reading & language arts, which is significantly higher than the statewide rate.
Top School Districts in Montana, 2020
Rank School District City
1 Bozeman H S Bozeman
2 Billings H S Billings
3 Beaverhead County H S Dillon
4 Missoula H S Missoula
5 Park H S Livingston
6 Hamilton K-12 Schools Hamilton
7 Libby K-12 Schools Libby
8 Choteau H S Choteau
9 Helena H S Helena
10 Corvallis K-12 Schools Corvallis
11 Flathead H S Kalispell
12 Big Sky School K-12 Big Sky
13 Powell County H S Deer Lodge
14 Fairfield H S Fairfield
15 Highwood K-12 Highwood
16 Polson H S Polson
17 Circle H S Circle
18 Chinook H S Chinook
19 Manhattan High School Manhattan
20 Frenchtown K-12 Schools Frenchtown
21 Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls Florence
22 Simms H S Simms
23 Whitefish H S Whitefish
24 Malta K-12 Schools Malta
25 Sidney H S Sidney
26 Red Lodge H S Red Lodge
27 Culbertson H S Culbertson
28 Centerville H S Sand Coulee
29 Baker K-12 Schools Baker
30 Great Falls H S Great Falls
31 Gardiner H S Gardiner
32 Plains K-12 Plains
33 Butte H S Butte
34 Noxon H S Noxon
35 Sweet Grass County H S Big Timber
36 Glasgow K-12 Schools Glasgow
37 Lincoln County H S Eureka
38 Columbia Falls H S Columbia Falls
39 Cut Bank H S Cut Bank
40 Belgrade H S Belgrade
41 Bigfork H S Bigfork
42 Plentywood K-12 Schools Plentywood
43 Joliet H S Joliet
44 Harrison K-12 Schools Harrison
45 Laurel H S Laurel
46 Twin Bridges K-12 Schools Twin Bridges
47 Melstone H S Melstone
48 Huntley Project K-12 Schools Worden
49 Scobey K-12 Schools Scobey
50 Townsend K-12 Schools Townsend
51 Hobson K-12 Schools Hobson
52 Thompson Falls H S Thompson Falls
53 Stevensville H S Stevensville
54 Dawson H S Glendive
55 Forsyth H S Forsyth
56 Conrad H S Conrad
57 Sunburst K-12 Schools Sunburst
58 Columbus H S Columbus
59 Ennis K-12 Schools Ennis
60 Custer County H S Miles City
61 Shelby H S Shelby
62 Darby K-12 Schools Darby
63 Fergus H S Lewistown
64 Troy H S Troy
65 Anaconda H S Anaconda
66 Whitehall H S Whitehall
67 Medicine Lake K-12 Schools Medicine Lake
68 Shepherd H S Shepherd
69 Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools Dutton
70 Wibaux K-12 Schools Wibaux
71 Ronan H S Ronan
72 Superior K-12 Schools Superior
73 Jefferson H S Boulder
74 Havre H S Havre
75 White Sulphur Spgs K-12 White Sulphur Springs
76 Hot Springs K-12 Hot Springs
77 Fairview H S Fairview
78 Drummond H S Drummond
79 Charlo H S Charlo
80 Harlem H S Harlem
81 Park City H S Park City
82 Cascade H S Cascade
83 St Ignatius K-12 Schools St Ignatius
84 Stanford K-12 Schools Stanford
85 Belfry K-12 Schools Belfry
86 Victor K-12 Schools Victor
87 Arlee H S Arlee
88 Dodson K-12 Dodson
Methodology
The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.
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