Best Public Schools in Colstrip, MT

Summary:

The city of Colstrip, Montana is home to three schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Pine Butte Elementary School, Colstrip High School, and Frank Brattin Middle School. These schools operate under the Colstrip Elementary and Colstrip High School districts.

Among the three schools, Pine Butte Elementary School stands out as the top performer, with the highest student enrollment, the best test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12:1. In contrast, Colstrip High School has the highest statewide ranking among the three schools, ranking 120th out of 182 Montana high schools, and the lowest student-teacher ratio of 8.4:1. However, the high school lags behind the state averages in all three subject areas for 11th-grade students.

The data also reveals a significant disparity in academic performance between the schools, with Pine Butte Elementary School outperforming the district and state averages, while Colstrip High School and Frank Brattin Middle School struggle to meet the state standards. This suggests that the lower student-teacher ratios at Pine Butte Elementary School and Colstrip High School may contribute to their relatively better academic performance, while Frank Brattin Middle School could benefit from targeted interventions and support to improve its outcomes.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ACT with Writing English Language Arts (2025)	ACT with Writing Mathematics (2025)	ACT with Writing Science (2025)	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	ACT with Writing English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Science 11th Grade	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Pine Butte Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2800 Durango Drive	Colstrip	59323	Rosebud County	Colstrip Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 748-4699	217	18	12.0	47.5%	101 (46.5%)	2 (0.9%)	25 (11.5%)	1 (0.5%)	78 (35.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	36.2	270^th of 401 public elementary schools	32.7%		31.7	156^th of 212 public elementary schools	26.4%	114				30.8	35.6	$15,541
Frank Brattin Middle School	Public	6-8	216 Olive Drive	Colstrip	59323	Rosebud County	Colstrip Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 748-4699	119	12	9.7	40.3%	59 (49.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.2%)	1 (0.8%)	44 (37.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.4%)	15	198^th of 222 public middle schools	10.8%		29.9	97^th of 123 public middle schools	21.1%	101				23.1	9.4	$22,497
Colstrip High School	Public	9-12	5000 Pine Butte Drive	Colstrip	59323	Rosebud County	Colstrip High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 748-4699	155	18	8.4	39.4%	78 (50.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.7%)	4 (2.6%)	46 (29.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (9.7%)	42.5	120^th of 182 public high schools	34.1%		32.7	85^th of 122 public high schools	30.3%	35	47.2	21.1	21.1			$26,448

Cities Near Colstrip

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lame Deer	19.42 mi	3	124^th
Forsyth	25.7 mi	3
Ashland	27.11 mi	2
Rosebud	27.45 mi	3
Busby	29.78 mi	1

See the top MT Montana cities

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.