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Gildford Colony School

Q: Is Gildford Colony School a good school?

Gildford Colony School ranks 53 rd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

53^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Gildford Colony School is a small public elementary school in Gildford, Montana, serving grades PK-8 with just 16 students. Despite its small size, this school consistently outperforms the state average in academic proficiency across subjects like English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

With a very low student-teacher ratio of 7.5 to 8 students per teacher, Gildford Colony School provides a highly personalized learning environment for its students. Additionally, the school serves a relatively high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 80-81% of its population receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Yet, the school's academic performance remains exceptional, ranking among the top elementary schools in the state of Montana with 4- and 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger.

When compared to nearby schools like North Star School and Cottonwood School, Gildford Colony School stands out with significantly higher academic proficiency rates and overall rankings. This suggests that the school's small class sizes and personalized approach to learning are key factors in its educational success, even while serving a more economically disadvantaged student population.

Students ?

8.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,024

Per pupil spending ?

81.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

21719 Road 160 N
Gildford, MT 59525

(406) 376-3249

District: Gildford Colony Elementary

Students who attend Gildford Colony School usually attend:

High:

North Star High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

100.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 80th percentile in 2021 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (61% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Montana elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2021

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg61%

Montana avg40%

53^rd of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▲ up 7 pts since 2021

From top 20% (2021) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

45^th of 387Gildford Colony 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	80.3	53 of 401	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	95.0	7 of 212	96.7%	★★★★★
2023	79.6	65 of 332	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	58.7	156 of 329	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	81.7	72 of 356	79.8%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics70%+33 vs state

Science67%+29 vs state

English Language Arts50%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gildford Colony 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
Gildford Colony School	Public	PK, KG-8	21719 Road 160 N	Gildford	59525	Hill County	Gildford Colony Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 376-3249	16	2	8.0	81.3%	16 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.3	53^rd of 401 public elementary schools	86.8%		95	7^th of 212 public elementary schools	96.7%	46	50.0	70.0	$26,024
Cottonwood School	Public	PK, KG-8	14627 Wildhorse Road	Havre	59501	Hill County	Cottonwood Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 394-2273	20	2	10.0		16 (80.0%)	1 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (10.0%)	1 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27.9	314^th of 401 public elementary schools	21.7%		49.3	127^th of 212 public elementary schools	40.1%	187	41.7	8.3	$17,406
North Star School	Public	PK, KG-8	205 3rd St East	Gildford	59525	Hill County	North Star Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 355-4481	83	10	8.6	60.2%	72 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	2 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.0%)	23.4	332^nd of 401 public elementary schools	17.2%					(n/a)	28.6	20.0	$13,429

Frequently Asked Questions about Gildford Colony School

What is the racial makeup of Gildford Colony School?

Students at Gildford Colony School are 100% White.

How many students attend Gildford Colony School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 16 students attended Gildford Colony School.

What district is Gildford Colony School in?

Gildford Colony Elementary

What schools do graduates of Gildford Colony School attend?

Students who attend Gildford Colony School usually go on to attend:

High : North Star High School

Is Gildford Colony School a good school?

Gildford Colony School ranks 53^rd of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Gildford Colony School!

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MTMontana Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Gildford, 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.