Rattlesnake Elementary School

Summary:

Rattlesnake Elementary School is a public elementary school in Missoula, Montana, serving 445 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Missoula Elementary District, which is ranked 54 out of 300 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Rattlesnake Elementary consistently outperforms the Missoula Elementary district and the state of Montana in standardized test scores. In the 2022-2023 school year, 68.31% of Rattlesnake students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 49.33% for the district and 36.59% for the state. In Reading, 72.95% of Rattlesnake students were proficient or better, compared to 58.86% for the district and 46.03% for the state. The school also had 73.63% proficiency in Science, significantly higher than the district (53.35%) and state (37.03%) averages. Rattlesnake Elementary has been ranked among the top 6 elementary schools in Montana and earned a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Rattlesnake Elementary has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 89.89% of students identifying as White, the school maintains a lower student-teacher ratio of 12.5 compared to nearby schools. This suggests the school is able to provide more individualized attention to students. Interestingly, some nearby schools, such as Chief Charlo School and Lewis & Clark School, also demonstrate strong academic performance and high statewide rankings, indicating the Missoula area has a concentration of high-performing elementary schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1220 Pineview Drive
Missoula, MT 59802

(406) 542-4050

District: Missoula Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
6^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,630

Students who attend Rattlesnake Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School
High:	Hellgate High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 407

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.7%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.2%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Rattlesnake Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rattlesnake Elementary School ranks better than 98.2% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks first among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.87. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (88.7%), Hispanic (4.9%), two or more races (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rattlesnake Elementary School is 15.4. 7 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Rattlesnake Elementary School employs 26.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rattlesnake Elementary School is $11,630, which is the lowest among 9 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Missoula Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Missoula Elementary 54^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Rattlesnake Elementary School.

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Rank History for Rattlesnake Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2005	85.42	22^nd	218	89.9%
2006	55.94	116^th	234	50.4%
2007	64.14	78^th	230	66.1%
2008	71.08	48^th	194	75.3%
2009	72.48	34^th	190	82.1%
2010	75.06	30^th	241	87.6%
2011	71.39	48^th	247	80.6%
2012	73.50	38^th	244	84.4%
2013	78.50	29^th	246	88.2%
2015	76.39	75^th	287	73.9%
2016	58.58	77^th	191	59.7%
2017	54.47	53^rd	109	51.4%
2018	79.34	16^th	116	86.2%
2019	89.24	10^th	123	91.9%
2021	96.28	13^th	356	96.3%
2022	97.45	8^th	329	97.6%
2023	96.87	6^th	332	98.2%

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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, April 28, 2013

This school has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere - most youngsters will feel very at ease with the teachers, staff, and principal. Almost everyone is receptive and easy to talk with. The school's neighborhood relations are great. Volunteers are encouraged to help with chess club, playground activities, lunch time help, the school's annual fun run, PTA fundraisers, and etc. This school has adequate grounds, and has the luxury of being directly next to a city playground park and a wooded city nature park, which the school takes full advantage of with outdoor learning incorporated into some of its class times. Students are composed of majority white (95% or more) children from a primarily upper class neighborhood, but students are from a wide variety of economic strata. This school has a slight hint of left leaning politics (especially among the faculty), academic standards are adequate and have been improving. Just about everyone will feel at home here. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Rattlesnake Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	396	396
1991	355	3	4	4	13	n/a	n/a	0	379
1992	348	2	4	4	19	n/a	n/a	0	377
1993	387	6	8	5	21	n/a	n/a	0	427
1994	390	1	8	3	19	n/a	n/a	0	421
1995	404	3	6	4	28	n/a	n/a	0	445
1996	404	3	6	4	28	n/a	n/a	0	445
1997	416	3	3	3	18	n/a	n/a	0	443
1998	423	3	3	3	24	n/a	n/a	0	456
1999	393	5	3	3	19	n/a	n/a	0	423
2000	365	3	2	3	14	n/a	n/a	0	387
2001	338	2	2	6	21	n/a	n/a	0	369
2002	344	1	6	10	17	n/a	n/a	0	378
2003	344	1	6	10	17	n/a	n/a	0	378
2004	316	0	6	4	20	n/a	n/a	0	346
2005	312	3	4	1	18	n/a	n/a	0	338
2006	317	7	8	1	20	n/a	n/a	0	353
2007	325	6	8	2	18	n/a	n/a	0	359
2008	319	3	5	5	13	n/a	n/a	0	345
2009	342	1	4	1	11	n/a	n/a	0	359
2010	370	3	5	2	13	n/a	n/a	0	393
2011	378	3	6	5	12	0	1	0	405
2012	414	2	7	8	8	0	1	0	440
2013	419	3	6	7	10	0	3	0	448
2014	429	3	7	10	14	1	3	0	467
2015	448	1	8	7	16	2	0	0	482
2016	455	2	7	9	17	2	0	0	492
2017	444	3	5	8	12	2	1	0	475
2018	451	1	4	11	13	2	0	0	482
2019	446	3	7	6	10	2	1	0	475
2020	463	4	6	9	8	2	1	0	493
2021	407	5	9	17	10	1	0	0	449
2022	414	6	7	18	10	0	4	0	459
2023	400	2	5	22	11	0	5	0	445
2024	361	3	4	20	8	0	11	0	407

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 Rattlesnake Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	396	22.6	17.5	21.7
1991	379	23.8	15.9	22.4
1992	377	23.8	15.8	23.6
1993	427	28.1	15.2	27.2
1994	421	28.3	14.9	25.2
1995	445	27.9	15.9	22.2
1996	445	27.9	15.9	22.2
1997	443	28.9	15.3	26
1998	456	30.0	15.2	27.2
1999	423	26.6	15.9	33.1
2000	387	28.0	13.8	36.2
2001	369	25.4	14.5	35
2002	378	25.7	14.7	35.7
2003	378	25.7	14.7	35.7
2004	346	24.2	14.3	37.9
2005	338	18.3	18.5	31.1
2006	353	18.5	19.1	30.3
2007	359	21.8	16.5	30.1
2008	345	22.2	15.5	25.5
2009	359	22.0	16.3	27.6
2010	393	24.9	15.7	32.1
2011	405	24.3	16.6	36.8
2012	440	23.7	18.5	33.2
2013	448	24.7	18.1	28.8
2014	467	35.6	13.1	30.8
2015	482	28.0	17.2	22.4
2016	492	29.0	16.9	26
2017	475	36.1	13.1	20
2018	482	34.3	14.0	21
2019	475	31.1	15.2	14.9
2020	493	31.6	15.6	9.5
2021	449	29.9	15.0	n/a
2022	459	35.3	12.9	n/a
2023	445	35.3	12.5	n/a
2024	407	26.2	15.4	29.2

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 Rattlesnake Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	396	22.6	17.5	21.7
1991	379	23.8	15.9	22.4
1992	377	23.8	15.8	23.6
1993	427	28.1	15.2	27.2
1994	421	28.3	14.9	25.2
1995	445	27.9	15.9	22.2
1996	445	27.9	15.9	22.2
1997	443	28.9	15.3	26
1998	456	30.0	15.2	27.2
1999	423	26.6	15.9	33.1
2000	387	28.0	13.8	36.2
2001	369	25.4	14.5	35
2002	378	25.7	14.7	35.7
2003	378	25.7	14.7	35.7
2004	346	24.2	14.3	37.9
2005	338	18.3	18.5	31.1
2006	353	18.5	19.1	30.3
2007	359	21.8	16.5	30.1
2008	345	22.2	15.5	25.5
2009	359	22.0	16.3	27.6
2010	393	24.9	15.7	32.1
2011	405	24.3	16.6	36.8
2012	440	23.7	18.5	33.2
2013	448	24.7	18.1	28.8
2014	467	35.6	13.1	30.8
2015	482	28.0	17.2	22.4
2016	492	29.0	16.9	26
2017	475	36.1	13.1	20
2018	482	34.3	14.0	21
2019	475	31.1	15.2	14.9
2020	493	31.6	15.6	9.5
2021	449	29.9	15.0	n/a
2022	459	35.3	12.9	n/a
2023	445	35.3	12.5	n/a
2024	407	26.2	15.4	29.2

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 Rattlesnake Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,430
2021	$10,422
2022	$11,521
2023	$11,630

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rattlesnake Elementary 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 10^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 6^th of 332 Elementary schools	6.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	475	445	6.3%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	10	11	10%
Asian	7	5	28.6%
Hispanic	6	22	266.7%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	446	400	10.3%
Two or More Races	1	5	400%

Schools Near Rattlesnake Elementary 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
Rattlesnake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1220 Pineview Drive	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4050	407	26	15.4	29.2%	361 (88.7%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.9%)	4 (1.0%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	96.9	6^th of 332 public elementary schools	98.2%		97.5	8^th of 329 public elementary schools	97.6%	2	68.3	73.0	73.6	$11,630
Lowell School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Phillips St	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4040	325	24	13.3	74.5%	255 (78.5%)	13 (4.0%)	12 (3.7%)	5 (1.5%)	26 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	63.6	126^th of 332 public elementary schools	62.0%		56	167^th of 329 public elementary schools	49.2%	41	43.9	48.5	40.9	$16,905
Paxson School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Evans	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4055	418	30	14.0	36.6%	327 (78.2%)	14 (3.3%)	34 (8.1%)	3 (0.7%)	29 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.4%)	95.2	10^th of 332 public elementary schools	97.0%		92.7	20^th of 329 public elementary schools	93.9%	10	61.6	71.9	70.3	$11,703
Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	1910 S. 11th St	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4020	282	26	10.7	71.6%	210 (74.5%)	19 (6.7%)	26 (9.2%)	4 (1.4%)	13 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.2%)	56.8	157^th of 332 public elementary schools	52.7%		50.5	193^rd of 329 public elementary schools	41.3%	36	30.3	44.7	50.0	$15,100
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Park	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4035	423	28	14.9	34.8%	350 (82.7%)	5 (1.2%)	18 (4.3%)	7 (1.7%)	26 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	89.2	33^rd of 332 public elementary schools	90.1%		87	51^st of 329 public elementary schools	84.5%	18	54.3	65.3	60.5	$12,616
Hellgate Elementary Primary Grades	Public	PK, KG-1	2365 Flynne Lane	Missoula	59808	Missoula County	Hellgate Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 721-2452	292	22	13.0	35.3%	226 (77.4%)	3 (1.0%)	22 (7.5%)	10 (3.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (9.2%)								(n/a)				$13,407
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	3216 Russell Street	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4080	385	30	12.9	59.2%	295 (76.6%)	4 (1.0%)	33 (8.6%)	10 (2.6%)	23 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.2%)	74.3	85^th of 332 public elementary schools	74.4%		76.3	85^th of 329 public elementary schools	74.2%		51.4	59.1	40.4	$14,214
Hellgate Elementary Lower Grades	Public	2-3	2365 Flynn Lane	Missoula	59808	Missoula County	Hellgate Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 721-2160	343	21	16.0	35.6%	272 (79.3%)	3 (0.9%)	30 (8.7%)	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.5%)	80.9	61^st of 332 public elementary schools	81.6%		80.3	77^th of 329 public elementary schools	76.6%	16	50.6	59.3		$11,096
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Hiberta St.	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4025	377	35	10.7	56.8%	299 (79.3%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.3%)	8 (2.1%)	27 (7.2%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (4.2%)	84.5	50^th of 332 public elementary schools	84.9%		84.9	59^th of 329 public elementary schools	82.1%	9	50.5	55.4	72.7	$14,756
Bonner School	Public	PK, KG-5	9045 Hwy 200 E	Bonner	59823	Missoula County	Bonner Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 258-6151	229	20	11.3	52.0%	195 (85.2%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.4%)	62	132^nd of 332 public elementary schools	60.2%		29.7	267^th of 329 public elementary schools	18.8%	135	41.1	43.2	47.1	$13,760

Frequently Asked Questions about Rattlesnake Elementary School

What district is Rattlesnake Elementary School in?

Missoula Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Rattlesnake Elementary School?

Students at Rattlesnake Elementary School are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend Rattlesnake Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 407 students attended Rattlesnake Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Rattlesnake Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rattlesnake Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School
High : Hellgate High School

Is Rattlesnake Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Rattlesnake Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 6^th of 332 Montana elementary schools.

Rate Rattlesnake Elementary School!

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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.