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Shields Valley Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6
125th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 401 Montana Elementary Schools
Better than 69% of Montana elementary schools
Summary

Shields Valley Elementary is a public elementary school located in Wilsall, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 107 students. The school is part of the Shields Valley Elementary School District, which is ranked 62 out of 387 districts in Montana and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shields Valley Elementary has consistently performed above the state average in proficiency rates for Math, English Language Arts, and Science on the Montana state assessments. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 52.63% in Math, 46.03% in ELA, and 45.16% in Science, compared to the state averages of 36.77%, 43.09%, and 38.16%, respectively. The school's performance has fluctuated over the years, with a high ranking of 1 out of 246 Montana elementary schools in 2012-2013 and a low ranking of 184 out of 356 in 2020-2021. Additionally, the school has maintained a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.8 in 2022-2023 to 11.8 in 2024-2025, which is lower than the state average and likely contributes to the school's academic success.

The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Shields Valley Elementary has ranged from 41.12% in 2024-2025 to 45.05% in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school serves a significant population of economically disadvantaged students. Despite this, the school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $10,005, which is higher than the state average, and may have contributed to the school's academic success and the provision of resources for its students.

107
Students ?
11.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$16,871
Per pupil spending ?
41.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 308 S. Hannaford
       Wilsall, MT  59086

(406) 578-2535

District: Shields Valley Elementary


Students who attend Shields Valley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Shields Valley 7-8
High:    Shields Valley High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
95.3%
Hispanic:
2.8%
Two or more races:
1.9%
 See top rated Montana elementary schools

 Compare Shields Valley Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2011 → 69th in 2025
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Montana average (49% vs 40% meeting standards)
✓Above the Montana median (69th percentile)
✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2011
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school49%
District avg54%
Montana avg40%
125th of 401
Montana public elementary schools ?
Top 31%▲ up 3 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
62nd of 387Shields Valley 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMontana percentileRating
202565.9125 of 40168.8%★★★☆☆
202473.365 of 21269.3%★★★★☆
202383.953 of 33284.0%★★★★☆
202271.1111 of 32966.3%★★★☆☆
202155.6184 of 35648.3%★★☆☆☆
201691.715 of 19192.1%★★★★★
201568.597 of 28766.2%★★★☆☆
201389.61 of 24699.6%★★★★★
201281.415 of 24493.9%★★★★★
201172.542 of 24783.0%★★★★☆
201081.213 of 24194.6%★★★★★
200970.842 of 19077.9%★★★★☆
200861.678 of 19459.8%★★★☆☆
200756.0116 of 23049.6%★★☆☆☆
200680.713 of 23494.4%★★★★★
20054.4209 of 2184.1%☆☆☆☆☆
200423.0181 of 21716.6%★☆☆☆☆
By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?
Mathematics52%+16 vs state
English Language Arts46%+3 vs state
Science44%+6 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Shields Valley Elementary

Shields Valley Elementary ranks 125th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Shields Valley Elementary are 95% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Students who attend Shields Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shields Valley 7-8
High : Shields Valley High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 107 students attended Shields Valley Elementary.


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MTMontana Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Wilsall, MT

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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.




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