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Jefferson School

Q: Is Jefferson School a good school?

Jefferson School ranks 51 st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Jefferson School is an exceptional elementary school located in Helena, Montana, serving 245 students in grades PK-5. As part of the Helena Elementary School District, Jefferson School has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in the state, ranking within the top 10-15 schools for the past several years.

Jefferson School's academic performance is truly impressive, with students consistently outperforming their peers in the Helena Elementary district and the state of Montana in standardized tests across all subjects. In the 2024-2025 school year, 62.9% of Jefferson School students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 49.52% for the district and 43.09% for the state. In Mathematics, 58.06% of Jefferson School students were proficient or better, compared to 38.83% for the district and 36.77% for the state. This level of sustained excellence suggests that the school has effective teaching practices, strong leadership, and a supportive school community.

Another factor that sets Jefferson School apart is its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 19.2 students per teacher, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 12.4 to 17.8 students per teacher. Additionally, the school has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 20% in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 19.7% to 82.99%. These factors may contribute to the school's exceptional academic outcomes and provide a supportive learning environment for its students.

245

Students ?

19.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,206

Per pupil spending ?

20%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1023 Broadway
Helena, MT 59601

(406) 324-2060

District: Helena Elementary

Students who attend Jefferson School usually attend:

Middle:	Helena Middle School
High:	Helena High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.3%

Hispanic:

8.6%

American Indian:

2.9%

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Compare Jefferson School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 98th percentile in 2023 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (58% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Montana elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Helena Elementary

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 98th-percentile peak (2023) to 87th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg45%

Montana avg40%

51^st of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 18% (2015) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 11Elementary Schools in the Helena Elementary

179^th of 387Helena 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	80.5	51 of 401	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	95.7	4 of 212	98.1%	★★★★★
2023	97.3	5 of 332	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	98.2	6 of 329	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	97.2	11 of 356	96.9%	★★★★★
2019	90.2	8 of 123	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	90.9	4 of 116	96.6%	★★★★★
2017	91.7	5 of 109	95.4%	★★★★★
2016	75.8	45 of 191	76.4%	★★★★☆
2015	80.3	53 of 287	81.5%	★★★★☆
2013	64.6	78 of 246	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.5	75 of 244	69.3%	★★★★☆
2011	59.9	110 of 247	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.3	79 of 241	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.3	117 of 230	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.5	140 of 234	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	67.3	74 of 218	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	89.8	14 of 217	93.5%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts63%+20 vs state

Mathematics58%+21 vs state

Science46%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jefferson School

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
Jefferson School	Public	PK, KG-5	1023 Broadway	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 324-2060	245	13	19.2	20.0%	209 (85.3%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.6%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	80.5	51^st of 401 public elementary schools	87.3%		95.7	4^th of 212 public elementary schools	98.1%	47	62.9	58.1	$13,206
Bryant School	Public	PK, KG-5	1529 Boulder	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 324-1200	288	20	14.0	83.0%	204 (70.8%)	4 (1.4%)	48 (16.7%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.5%)	26.5	319^th of 401 public elementary schools	20.4%		27.9	168^th of 212 public elementary schools	20.8%	151	26.1	22.7	$13,947
Smith School	Public	PK, KG-5	2320 5th Avenue	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 324-1530	217	16	13.5	35.5%	153 (70.5%)	6 (2.8%)	47 (21.7%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	59.2	158^th of 401 public elementary schools	60.6%		82	32^nd of 212 public elementary schools	84.9%	126	49.5	36.4	$13,714
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	430 Madison Avenue	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 324-1370	183	13	13.7	20.8%	156 (85.2%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.8%)	73.7	79^th of 401 public elementary schools	80.3%		67.4	80^th of 212 public elementary schools	62.3%	1	54.2	51.0	$12,955
Central School	Public	PK, KG-5	1325 Poplar	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 324-1230	242	17	13.9	60.3%	190 (78.5%)	2 (0.8%)	25 (10.3%)	4 (1.7%)	15 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)	56.5	174^th of 401 public elementary schools	56.6%		81.8	35^th of 212 public elementary schools	83.5%	139	46.9	37.9	$16,565
Helena Montessori Charter School	Public	K-5	1325 Poplar Street	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 324-2000	198	11	17.8	19.7%	160 (80.8%)	5 (2.5%)	20 (10.1%)	2 (1.0%)	5 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	65.7	126^th of 401 public elementary schools	68.6%					(n/a)	58.9	35.5
Mount Ascension Learning Ac Elementary	Public, Virtual	K-5	1325 Poplar Street	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(406) 324-2000	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 Hollins	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 324-1130	207	17	12.4	73.4%	164 (79.2%)	2 (1.0%)	19 (9.2%)	2 (1.0%)	13 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.4%)	31.7	294^th of 401 public elementary schools	26.7%		55.2	109^th of 212 public elementary schools	48.6%	185	31.3	22.6	$13,945
Four Georgians School	Public	PK, KG-5	555 Custer Avenue	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 324-1300	482	29	16.8	30.9%	405 (84.0%)	5 (1.0%)	37 (7.7%)	6 (1.2%)	12 (2.5%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.1%)	68.2	114^th of 401 public elementary schools	71.6%		71.9	66^th of 212 public elementary schools	68.9%	48	60.9	37.2	$12,054
Kessler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Choteau Street	Helena	59601	Lewis and Clark County	Helena Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 324-1700	235	18	13.1	34.0%	201 (85.5%)	5 (2.1%)	19 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	46	221^st of 401 public elementary schools	44.9%		50.4	124^th of 212 public elementary schools	41.5%	97	42.6	31.5	$12,541

Frequently Asked Questions about Jefferson School

How many students attend Jefferson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Jefferson School.

What is the racial makeup of Jefferson School?

Students at Jefferson School are 85% White, 9% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Jefferson School a good school?

Jefferson School ranks 51^st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Jefferson School in?

Helena Elementary

What schools do graduates of Jefferson School attend?

Students who attend Jefferson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Helena Middle School
High : Helena High School

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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.