Elementary Schools in Colstrip Elementary

Summary:

The Colstrip Elementary district in Montana contains a single elementary school, Pine Butte Elementary School, which serves students from kindergarten through 6th grade. The school is located in Colstrip, a small town in southeastern Montana known for its coal mining industry.

Pine Butte Elementary School has 217 students enrolled, with a student-teacher ratio of 12:1. The school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $13,955. In the 2024-2025 school year, Pine Butte Elementary's proficiency rates were 30.77% in English Language Arts, 35.58% in Mathematics, and 20% in Science, all of which are significantly lower than the Montana state averages. The school's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, dropping from 156th out of 212 Montana elementary schools in 2023-2024 to 270th out of 401 in 2024-2025.

Nearly half (47.47%) of Pine Butte Elementary's student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high poverty rate in the community. While the data set does not provide comparative information from other schools in the Colstrip Elementary district, the available information suggests Pine Butte Elementary is struggling academically and may benefit from targeted interventions and additional resources to address the needs of its student population.

District Detail

216 Olive Drive
Colstrip, MT 59323

(406) 748-4699

SchoolDigger Rank:
319^th of 387 Montana districts

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Grades served: PK, KG-8
Students: 336

Primary Schools: 1
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 0
Alternative Schools: 0

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
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

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Colstrip High School	0.55 mi	1	277^th
Lame Deer Elementary	20.1 mi	2	375^th
Lame Deer High School	22.12 mi	1	376^th
Forsyth High School	25.02 mi	1	139^th
Forsyth Elementary	25.04 mi	2	198^th

See the top MT Montana districts

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.