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West Elementary School

Q: Is West Elementary School a good school?

West Elementary School ranks 273 rd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

273^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 32% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

West Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Butte, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 503 students. The school is part of the Butte Elementary School District, which is ranked 226 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While West Elementary School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.9 to 16.3 over the past few years, its academic performance is generally lower than the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 35.29% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, 26.74% in Mathematics, and 31.88% in Science, compared to the Butte Elementary District scores of 39.96%, 35.16%, and 33.87%, respectively, and the state averages of 43.09%, 36.77%, and 38.16%. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 68th out of 123 Montana elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 273rd out of 401 in 2024-2025.

One notable factor is that West Elementary School has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-income families. This is significantly higher than the nearby Hillcrest School (28.64%) and Ramsay School (31.03%). The lower spending per student at West Elementary School ($8,957) compared to Hillcrest School ($9,273) and Ramsay School ($9,810) may also be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance.

503

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,321

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 S Emmett
Butte, MT 59701

(406) 533-2700

District: Butte Elementary

Students who attend West Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	East Middle School
High:	Butte High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.7%

Hispanic:

8.5%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare West Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2013 → 32nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 22 percentile points since 2013

!Mathematics scores 10 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg37%

Montana avg40%

273^rd of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Butte Elementary

226^th of 387Butte 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	35.5	273 of 401	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.9	128 of 332	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.6	165 of 329	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.0	229 of 356	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.0	68 of 123	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.5	60 of 116	48.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	34.2	74 of 109	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.8	107 of 191	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.8	231 of 287	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	58.1	114 of 246	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	55.0	123 of 244	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.0	147 of 247	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.5	134 of 241	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	42.3	137 of 190	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.5	154 of 194	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	33.5	192 of 230	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	34.0	189 of 234	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	50.2	125 of 218	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	14.5	197 of 217	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts35%-8 vs state

Science32%-6 vs state

Mathematics27%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near West Elementary 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
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	800 S Emmett	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 533-2700	503	31	16.3	100.0%	416 (82.7%)	9 (1.8%)	43 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	14 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	35.5	273^rd of 401 public elementary schools	31.9%					(n/a)	35.3	26.7	$12,321
Kennedy School	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 N Emmett	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 533-2450	219	17	13.1	100.0%	151 (68.9%)	1 (0.5%)	27 (12.3%)	5 (2.3%)	12 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (10.5%)	22	337^th of 401 public elementary schools	16.0%					(n/a)	23.4	14.8	$11,983
Emerson School	Public	PK, KG-6	1924 Phillips Ave	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 533-2800	389	25	15.7	100.0%	328 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	30.4	301^st of 401 public elementary schools	24.9%					(n/a)	37.8	17.2	$9,657
Whittier School	Public	PK, KG-6	2500 Sherman	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 533-2890	383	25	15.4	100.0%	341 (89.0%)	4 (1.0%)	22 (5.7%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)	72.6	88^th of 401 public elementary schools	78.1%		80	42^nd of 212 public elementary schools	80.2%	46	50.7	62.1	$10,930
Margaret Leary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1301 4 Mile Vue Rd	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 533-2550	359	22	16.0	100.0%	301 (83.8%)	2 (0.6%)	38 (10.6%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	49.6	210^th of 401 public elementary schools	47.6%					(n/a)	37.4	44.9	$11,299
Hillcrest School	Public	PK, KG-6	3000 Continental Drive	Butte	59701	Silver Bow County	Butte Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 533-2850	412	22	19.0	28.6%	369 (89.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.4%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.6%)	76	71^st of 401 public elementary schools	82.3%					(n/a)	54.1	59.3	$9,859
Ramsay School	Public	PK, KG-5	3 Russell St	Ramsay	59748	Silver Bow County	Ramsay Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 782-5470	116	7	16.4	31.0%	106 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)	39.3	254^th of 401 public elementary schools	36.7%		62.9	90^th of 212 public elementary schools	57.5%	164	37.9	27.6	$11,776

Frequently Asked Questions about West Elementary School

Is West Elementary School a good school?

West Elementary School ranks 273^rd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of West Elementary School?

Students at West Elementary School are 83% White, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 2% African American.

How many students attend West Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 503 students attended West Elementary School.

What district is West Elementary School in?

Butte Elementary

What schools do graduates of West Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Middle School
High : Butte 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.