Deerfield School

Deerfield School is a small elementary school in Lewistown, Montana, serving grades PK-8 with just 11 students. While the school's small size may seem like an advantage, it faces significant challenges, including consistently low academic performance and high poverty levels among its student population.

Deerfield School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 30% in ELA, 20% in Math, and 33.33% in Science, compared to the state averages of 43.09%, 36.77%, and 38.16%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a high student-teacher ratio of 11:1, which may contribute to the quality of instruction and student learning. Interestingly, Deerfield School's small size does not appear to be a significant advantage, as it is not outperforming the nearby schools, which range from 36 to 182 students.

Another notable characteristic of Deerfield School is its high percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients, which stands at 100%. This suggests that the school serves a population with significant economic challenges, which may be a contributing factor to the school's low academic performance. The school's declining statewide ranking, from 229 out of 329 schools in 2021-2022 to 307 out of 401 schools in 2024-2025, further indicates that the school is struggling to keep up with the performance of other elementary schools in Montana. The district and school leadership may need to implement targeted interventions and strategies to improve student outcomes at Deerfield School.