Elementary Schools in Plains K-12

Summary:

The Plains K-12 school district in Montana is home to a single elementary school, Plains Elementary School, which has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in the state. Despite serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, the school has demonstrated strong academic performance, outpacing state averages in core subject areas.

Plains Elementary School has been a standout institution within the Plains K-12 district, ranking 43rd out of 212 Montana elementary schools in the 2023-2024 school year and 84th out of 332 in the 2022-2023 school year. The school's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in MAST/English Language Arts (45.45%), MAST/Mathematics (40.91%), and Montana Science Assessment/Science (52.94%) compared to the district and state averages. This suggests that the school is providing a high-quality education to its students, despite the challenges of serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged population.

While Plains Elementary School is well-funded, with per-student spending in line with the state average and a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.5, there may be opportunities for further improvement, particularly in closing the gap between the school's performance and the state averages in MAST/English Language Arts and MAST/Mathematics. By identifying and addressing the specific needs of the student population, the school could continue to excel and serve as a model of effective education in the state of Montana.

District Detail

412 Rittenour
Plains, MT 59859

(406) 826-3666

SchoolDigger Rank:
207^th of 387 Montana districts

See the 2025 Montana District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 404

Primary Schools: 1
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 1
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
Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	412 Rittenour	Plains	59859	Sanders County	Plains K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 826-3642	218	16	13.5	100.0%	197 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.8%)	58.8	161^st of 401 public elementary schools	59.9%		80	43^rd of 212 public elementary schools	79.7%	118	45.5	40.9	$12,936

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Plains Elementary	0.01 mi	2
Hot Springs K-12	14.3 mi	3	251^st
St Regis K-12 Schools	15.26 mi	3	279^th
Superior K-12 Schools	19.13 mi	3	224^th
Thompson Falls High School	22.31 mi	1	292^nd

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.