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Lowell School

Q: Is Lowell School a good school?

Lowell School ranks 297 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

297^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Lowell School is an elementary school located in Missoula, MT, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 354 students. While part of the Missoula Elementary District, which is ranked 165 out of 387 districts in Montana, Lowell School has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state averages in standardized test scores.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Lowell School's proficiency rates were significantly lower than the district and state averages in English Language Arts (28.48% vs. 50.06% and 43.09%), Mathematics (28.3% vs. 43.84% and 36.77%), and Science (28% vs. 49.14% and 38.16%). Additionally, Lowell School's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 65th out of 116 Montana elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 297th out of 401 in 2024-2025, placing it in the bottom quarter of Montana elementary schools. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 86.44% in the 2024-2025 school year, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

Interestingly, Lowell School's performance lags behind several nearby schools in the Missoula Elementary District, such as Paxson School and Rattlesnake Elementary School, which consistently rank among the top elementary schools in Montana. These schools have significantly higher proficiency rates and statewide rankings compared to Lowell. While Lowell School's low student-teacher ratio suggests a greater level of individual attention, the school's declining performance and high concentration of students from low-income families indicate that targeted interventions and support could be crucial in helping to improve student outcomes.

354

Students ?

14.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,776

Per pupil spending ?

86.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1215 Phillips St
Missoula, MT 59802

(406) 542-4040

District: Missoula Elementary

Students who attend Lowell School usually attend:

Middle:	Porter Middle School
High:	Hellgate High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.7%

American Indian:

7.6%

Two or more races:

5.6%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Lowell School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 70th percentile in 2013 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (28% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 44 percentile points since 2013

!English Language Arts scores 15 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg47%

Montana avg40%

297^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 35 pts since 2015

From top 39% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Missoula Elementary

165^th of 387Missoula Elementary among Montana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	30.8	297 of 401	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	131 of 212	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.6	126 of 332	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.0	167 of 329	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.2	268 of 356	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	105 of 123	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.9	65 of 116	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.6	120 of 191	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.7	113 of 287	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.7	75 of 246	69.5%	★★★★☆
2012	62.5	88 of 244	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.6	86 of 247	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	52.0	137 of 241	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	24.2	169 of 190	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	16.8	181 of 194	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.2	222 of 230	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	41.9	163 of 234	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	14.0	200 of 218	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	50.6	115 of 217	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts28%-15 vs state

Mathematics28%-8 vs state

Science28%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lowell School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Lowell School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Phillips St	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4040	354	24	14.7	86.4%	275 (77.7%)	19 (5.4%)	10 (2.8%)	3 (0.8%)	27 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)	30.8	297^th of 401 public elementary schools	25.9%		45.2	131^st of 212 public elementary schools	38.2%	166	28.5	28.3	$15,776
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	274	23	11.9	80.3%	197 (71.9%)	12 (4.4%)	32 (11.7%)	5 (1.8%)	15 (5.5%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.4%)	34.6	277^th of 401 public elementary schools	30.9%		63	89^th of 212 public elementary schools	58.0%	188	32.6	25.2	$16,619
Paxson School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Evans	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4055	415	26	16.1	37.6%	316 (76.1%)	7 (1.7%)	33 (8.0%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (8.9%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.6%)	86.1	30^th of 401 public elementary schools	92.5%		92.8	15^th of 212 public elementary schools	92.9%	15	65.3	57.8	$13,237
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	393	25	15.8	31.8%	341 (86.8%)	3 (0.8%)	25 (6.4%)	5 (1.3%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	81.8	45^th of 401 public elementary schools	88.8%		95.7	6^th of 212 public elementary schools	97.2%	39	62.6	53.4	$12,614
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Hiberta St.	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4025	417	29	14.1	53.5%	329 (78.9%)	3 (0.7%)	14 (3.4%)	10 (2.4%)	28 (6.7%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (7.4%)	58.4	164^th of 401 public elementary schools	59.1%		74.4	63^rd of 212 public elementary schools	70.3%	101	45.5	42.4	$15,622
Missoula TEACH Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	909 South Ave West	Missoula	59803	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 728-2400	84	5	16.8	69.0%	51 (60.7%)	8 (9.5%)	4 (4.8%)	13 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.5%)	27.3	318^th of 401 public elementary schools	20.7%					(n/a)	22.7	33.3
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	316	24	12.9	32.0%	234 (74.1%)	4 (1.3%)	25 (7.9%)	12 (3.8%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.4%)								(n/a)			$14,023
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Park	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4035	429	28	15.1	32.2%	361 (84.1%)	7 (1.6%)	19 (4.4%)	4 (0.9%)	21 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	70.6	95^th of 401 public elementary schools	76.3%		82.4	31^st of 212 public elementary schools	85.4%	64	54.3	45.7	$13,535
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	305	20	14.9	35.1%	233 (76.4%)	3 (1.0%)	32 (10.5%)	6 (2.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.2%)	55.2	182^nd of 401 public elementary schools	54.6%					(n/a)	42.9	42.0	$11,890
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	3216 Russell Street	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4080	375	28	13.5	55.2%	290 (77.3%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (8.3%)	8 (2.1%)	23 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.6%)	64.2	131^st of 401 public elementary schools	67.3%		81.5	37^th of 212 public elementary schools	82.5%	94	50.3	46.5	$14,546

Frequently Asked Questions about Lowell School

How many students attend Lowell School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 354 students attended Lowell School.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell School?

Students at Lowell School are 78% White, 8% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Lowell School attend?

Students who attend Lowell School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Porter Middle School
High : Hellgate High School

Is Lowell School a good school?

Lowell School ranks 297^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Lowell School in?

Missoula Elementary

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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.