Savage High School

Savage High School is the sole public high school in the Savage High School district, serving grades 9 through 12 in the small, rural community of Savage, Montana, with a very small enrollment of just 40 students.

This school stands out as a STEM powerhouse, dramatically outperforming the state average in Mathematics (55.56% proficient vs. 31.25% state) and Science (44.44% proficient vs. 30.03% state). While its English Language Arts proficiency (44.44%) trails the state average (54.99%), the school’s focused strength in math and science is a major advantage for students. This academic excellence is reflected in its consistent high state ranking, placing in the 87th percentile (51st out of 387 schools) and earning a 4-star rating from Schooldigger for multiple years. The school also boasts an exceptional student-teacher ratio of 8.6:1, creating a highly personalized learning environment that is a key asset for a small rural school.

A notable finding is the school’s very high per-student spending of $33,584, which is typical for small, rural schools where fixed costs are spread over a tiny student body. This investment supports the excellent student-teacher ratio and appears to yield strong academic returns, particularly in STEM subjects. With a moderate free/reduced lunch rate of 30%, the data strongly suggests that the school’s small size is a strategic advantage, enabling individualized attention that helps students achieve scores nearly double the state average in math and science. This consistent, high-quality performance over more than a decade indicates a stable and effective educational program, not a one-year anomaly.