Highwood School

Q: Is Highwood School a good school?

Highwood School ranks 64 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Highwood School is an exceptional elementary school in Highwood, MT, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 56 students. This small school has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, outperforming nearby schools like Fort Benton School and Belt School in academic performance.

Highwood School's students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, with 52.38% proficient or better in mathematics and 57.14% proficient or better in reading, significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's small size, with a student-teacher ratio ranging from 10.7 to 11.8, may contribute to its ability to provide a personalized learning environment. Additionally, Highwood School's higher spending per student ($13,111 in 2018-2019) compared to nearby schools like Hill Top Colony School ($8,647) and Pleasant Valley School ($10,646) may be a factor in its academic success.

However, Highwood School's student population is notably less diverse, with 96.43% of students identifying as white, compared to the more diverse student bodies at nearby schools like Fort Benton School, which has a student population that is 83.08% white, 5.64% Hispanic, and 6.15% Native American. As the Fort Benton Elementary and Belt Elementary districts continue to monitor and evaluate school performance, Highwood School's model may provide valuable insights for other schools seeking to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

160 West Street South
Highwood, MT 59450

(406) 733-2081

District: Highwood K-12

SchoolDigger Rank:
64^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,112

Students who attend Highwood School usually attend:

Middle:	Highwood Middle School
High:	Highwood High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 60

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

African American:

3.3%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Highwood School ranks better than 80.7% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.42. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.7%), African American (3.3%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highwood School is 12. (See more...)

Compare Highwood School employs 4.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highwood School is $16,112.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Highwood School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Highwood K-12:

SchoolDigger ranks Highwood K-12 36^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Highwood School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2015	97.93	7^th	287	97.6%
2016	97.59	5^th	191	97.4%
2021	99.32	1^st	356	99.7%
2022	86.06	57^th	329	82.7%
2023	80.42	64^th	332	80.7%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Highwood School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2014	51	0	0	0	2	0	53
2015	46	0	0	0	2	0	48
2016	52	0	2	0	1	0	55
2017	45	0	2	0	1	1	49
2018	50	0	0	0	0	2	52
2019	52	0	0	1	2	4	59
2020	51	0	0	1	0	3	55
2021	54	0	0	2	0	2	58
2022	55	0	0	1	0	1	57
2023	54	0	0	1	0	1	56
2024	55	2	0	1	0	2	60

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highwood School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	53	5.3	9.8	11.3
2015	48	6.0	8.0	12.5
2016	55	6.0	9.1	20
2017	49	3.9	12.5	22.4
2018	52	4.2	12.2	26.9
2019	59	4.4	13.2	22
2020	55	5.9	9.3	18.2
2021	58	5.1	11.1	n/a
2022	57	4.8	11.8	n/a
2023	56	5.1	10.7	n/a
2024	60	4.9	12.0	36.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Highwood School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	53	5.3	9.8	11.3
2015	48	6.0	8.0	12.5
2016	55	6.0	9.1	20
2017	49	3.9	12.5	22.4
2018	52	4.2	12.2	26.9
2019	59	4.4	13.2	22
2020	55	5.9	9.3	18.2
2021	58	5.1	11.1	n/a
2022	57	4.8	11.8	n/a
2023	56	5.1	10.7	n/a
2024	60	4.9	12.0	36.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highwood School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,111
2021	$16,186
2022	$14,401
2023	$16,112

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highwood School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	59	56	5.1%
African American	0	0
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	1	1
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	52	54	3.8%
Two or More Races	4	1	75%

Schools Near Highwood School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2023)	Montana State Tests Reading (2023)	Montana State Tests Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science All Grades	Total
Highwood School	Public	PK, KG-5	160 West Street South	Highwood	59450	Chouteau County	Highwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 733-2081	60	5	12.0	36.7%	55 (91.7%)	2 (3.3%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.3%)	80.4	64^th of 332 public elementary schools	80.7%		86.1	57^th of 329 public elementary schools	82.7%	7	52.4	57.1		$16,112
Belt School	Public	PK, KG-6	1 Church Street	Belt	59412	Cascade County	Belt Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 277-3351	195	12	15.9	36.4%	182 (93.3%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	4 (2.1%)	3 (1.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75.8	82^nd of 332 public elementary schools	75.3%		87.2	47^th of 329 public elementary schools	85.7%	35	60.8	46.4	50.0	$11,154
Pleasant Valley School	Public	PK, KG-8	1 Church Street	Belt	59412	Cascade County	Belt Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 277-3351	25	2	11.6	88.0%	25 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43.1	213^th of 332 public elementary schools	35.8%		46.7	211^th of 329 public elementary schools	35.9%	2	47.4	21.1		$10,541
Carter School	Public	PK, KG-8	438 2nd Ave.	Carter	59420	Chouteau County	Carter Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 734-5387	2	1	2.6		2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				$25,775
Fort Benton School	Public	PK, KG-6	1406 Franklin	Fort Benton	59442	Chouteau County	Fort Benton Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 622-3761	179	13	13.4	51.4%	155 (86.6%)	1 (0.6%)	9 (5.0%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.9%)	79.4	66^th of 332 public elementary schools	80.1%		88.1	41^st of 329 public elementary schools	87.5%	25	60.4	58.2	43.5	$11,110
Hill Top Colony School	Public	PK, KG-8	909 Spring Creek Road	Stockett	59480	Cascade County	Centerville Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 736-5169	22	2	10.7		22 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Highwood School

What schools do graduates of Highwood School attend?

Students who attend Highwood School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Highwood Middle School
High : Highwood High School

What district is Highwood School in?

Highwood K-12

What is the racial makeup of Highwood School?

Students at Highwood School are 92% White, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Highwood School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 60 students attended Highwood School.

Is Highwood School a good school?

Highwood School ranks 64^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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