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Bissell School

Q: Is Bissell School a good school?

Bissell School ranks 60 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

60^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Bissell School is an elementary school located in Whitefish, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 78 students. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the state average in academic proficiency across various subjects, ranking in the top 15% of Montana elementary schools.

Bissell School's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with 55.32% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 57.45% in Mathematics, and 55.56% in Science during the 2024-2025 school year, significantly higher than the state averages. The school's steady improvement in statewide ranking, from the bottom quartile in the early 2010s to the 60th out of 401 elementary schools in the state in the 2024-2025 school year, suggests that the school has been implementing effective strategies to support student learning and achievement. Additionally, Bissell School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 8.9 students per teacher, compared to nearby schools with ratios ranging from 12.1 to 17.7.

While Bissell School outperforms the state averages, it is also outperforming many of the nearby schools, such as those in the Olney-Bissell Elementary School District and the state as a whole. The school's relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (37.18% in 2024-2025) compared to nearby schools, which have rates ranging from 46.62% to 100%, may be a contributing factor to its strong academic performance. This suggests that Bissell School serves a more affluent student population, which is often associated with higher academic achievement. Overall, Bissell School stands out as a high-performing elementary school in the region, with a strong track record of academic success and a supportive learning environment for its students.

Students ?

8.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,890

Per pupil spending ?

37.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5955 Farm To Market Road
Whitefish, MT 59937

(406) 862-2828

District: Olney-Bissell Elementary

Students who attend Bissell School usually attend:

Middle:	Bissell 7-8
High:	Whitefish High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.0%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Hispanic:

2.6%

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Compare Bissell School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 21st percentile in 2010 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (56% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Montana elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 64 percentile points since 2010

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg50%

Montana avg40%

60^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From top 30% (2015) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

127^th of 387Olney-Bissell 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	78.0	60 of 401	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	75.8	57 of 212	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.2	100 of 332	69.9%	★★★★☆
2022	70.9	114 of 329	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.0	139 of 356	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	71.3	85 of 287	70.4%	★★★★☆
2013	33.5	191 of 246	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	41.6	179 of 244	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	31.7	198 of 247	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	36.1	190 of 241	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.6	174 of 190	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	47.5	122 of 194	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	50.0	127 of 218	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics57%+21 vs state

Science56%+17 vs state

English Language Arts55%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bissell 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
Bissell School	Public	PK, KG-6	5955 Farm To Market Road	Whitefish	59937	Flathead County	Olney-Bissell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 862-2828	78	9	8.9	37.2%	71 (91.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)	3 (3.8%)	78	60^th of 401 public elementary schools	85.0%		75.8	57^th of 212 public elementary schools	73.1%	3	55.3	57.5	$17,890
L A Muldown School	Public	PK, KG-4	1300 East 7th St.	Whitefish	59937	Flathead County	Whitefish Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 862-8620	661	50	13.2	28.7%	589 (89.1%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.1%)	88.1	24^th of 401 public elementary schools	94.0%					(n/a)	61.3	71.2	$12,437
West Valley School	Public	PK, KG-4	2290 Farm To Market Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	West Valley Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-7239	434	25	17.5	36.2%	393 (90.6%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.7%)	4 (0.9%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.7%)	70.2	97^th of 401 public elementary schools	75.8%					(n/a)	55.1	46.6	$12,155
Edgerton School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Whitefish Stage	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-4040	509	30	17.2	100.0%	434 (85.3%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (7.1%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.7%)	65.7	127^th of 401 public elementary schools	68.3%					(n/a)	55.0	46.6	$11,252
Ruder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 12th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6570	487	34	14.3	97.5%	413 (84.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (8.8%)	38.4	259^th of 401 public elementary schools	35.4%					(n/a)	38.5	25.8	$11,747
Helena Flats School	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Helena Flats Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Helena Flats Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 257-2301	253	14	17.7	100.0%	238 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	49.6	209^th of 401 public elementary schools	47.9%					(n/a)	38.7	37.6	$9,229
Glacier Gateway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 4th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6540	471	33	14.4	98.9%	405 (86.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.0%)	48	218^th of 401 public elementary schools	45.6%					(n/a)	37.7	35.3	$12,477
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	227 West Nevada	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3900	223	14	15.9	100.0%	189 (84.8%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (4.0%)	2 (0.9%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.6%)	69.7	102^nd of 401 public elementary schools	74.6%					(n/a)	58.4	46.1	$13,590
East Evergreen School	Public	PK, KG-4	585 E. Evergreen	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Evergreen Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-1121	360	28	13.0	100.0%	294 (81.7%)	2 (0.6%)	35 (9.7%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.1%)	29.7	305^th of 401 public elementary schools	23.9%					(n/a)	27.3	28.8	$15,199
Lillian Peterson School	Public	PK, KG-5	1119 2nd Street W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-3737	344	20	17.2	100.0%	296 (86.0%)	2 (0.6%)	25 (7.3%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.4%)	65.2	129^th of 401 public elementary schools	67.8%					(n/a)	51.3	43.0	$10,736

Frequently Asked Questions about Bissell School

Is Bissell School a good school?

Bissell School ranks 60^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bissell School?

Students at Bissell School are 91% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 3% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Bissell School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 78 students attended Bissell School.

What district is Bissell School in?

Olney-Bissell Elementary

What schools do graduates of Bissell School attend?

Students who attend Bissell School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bissell 7-8
High : Whitefish High School

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Schools in Whitefish, 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.