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Darby 7-8

Q: Is Darby 7-8 a good school?

Darby 7-8 ranks 124 th of 222 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

124^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 222 Montana Middle Schools

Better than 44% of Montana middle schools

Summary

Darby 7-8 is a public middle school located in Darby, Montana, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 48 students. The school is part of the Darby K-12 Schools district, which is ranked 242 out of 387 districts in Montana and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Darby 7-8 has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9 to 15.1 students per teacher, which is lower than the nearby Hamilton Middle School, which has a 15 student-teacher ratio. However, Darby 7-8 has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 100% in the most recent years, significantly higher than the 52.39% rate at Hamilton Middle School. Academically, Darby 7-8 has consistently underperformed the state and district averages in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

The analysis of Darby 7-8 school data reveals that the school's declining performance, low academic proficiency rates, and high free/reduced lunch rates suggest that it may be facing significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students. Comparing Darby 7-8 to the nearby Hamilton Middle School highlights the disparities in academic achievement, despite Darby 7-8's lower student-teacher ratio. These findings could inform potential interventions or strategies to address the school's areas of concern and improve student outcomes.

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,599

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

209 School Drive
Darby, MT 59829

(406) 821-3252

District: Darby K-12 Schools

Students who attend Darby 7-8 usually attend:

High:

Darby High School

Feeder schools for Darby 7-8:

Elementary:

Darby School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.4%

American Indian:

6.3%

African American:

4.2%

See top rated Montana middle schools

Compare Darby 7-8 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2009 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2009

Worth a look

!Science scores 20 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg37%

Montana avg40%

124^th of 222

Montana public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 24 pts since 2021

From bottom 20% (2021) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

242^nd of 387Darby K-12 Schools 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	44.6	124 of 222	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.7	68 of 123	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.5	119 of 187	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	129 of 190	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.4	159 of 200	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	62.3	64 of 159	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.7	63 of 156	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.9	98 of 161	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	62.9	55 of 156	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.8	96 of 147	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.2	94 of 149	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.0	102 of 147	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	67.8	40 of 146	72.6%	★★★★☆
2005	92.4	3 of 164	98.2%	★★★★★
2004	13.5	153 of 171	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics48%+11 vs state

English Language Arts32%-11 vs state

Science18%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Darby 7-8

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
Darby 7-8	Public	7-8	209 School Drive	Darby	59829	Ravalli County	Darby K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 821-3252	48	4	13.6	100.0%	41 (85.4%)	2 (4.2%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	44.6	124^th of 222 public middle schools	44.1%		44.7	68^th of 123 public middle schools	44.7%	56	31.9	47.9	$14,599
Bitterroot Polytech 7-8	Public	7-8	217 Daly Ave	Hamilton	99840	Ravalli County	Hamilton K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 363-2280	20	2	13.3	80.0%	17 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.0%)	6.7	208^th of 222 public middle schools	6.3%					(n/a)	14.3	0.0
Hamilton Middle School	Public	5-8	209 South 5th St	Hamilton	59840	Ravalli County	Hamilton K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 363-2121	460	31	15.0	52.4%	387 (84.1%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.5%)	56.7	92^nd of 222 public middle schools	58.6%					(n/a)	47.0	40.5	$10,518

Frequently Asked Questions about Darby 7-8

What district is Darby 7-8 in?

Darby K-12 Schools

What is the racial makeup of Darby 7-8?

Students at Darby 7-8 are 85% White, 6% American Indian, 4% African American, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Darby 7-8?

In the 2024-25 school year, 48 students attended Darby 7-8.

What high school do graduates of Darby 7-8 attend?

Students who attend Darby 7-8 usually go on to attend Darby High School

Is Darby 7-8 a good school?

Darby 7-8 ranks 124^th of 222 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Darby 7-8!

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Schools in Darby, 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.