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Highwood School

Q: Is Highwood School a good school?

Highwood School ranks 171 st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

171^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Highwood School is an elementary school located in Highwood, MT, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 62 students. The school is part of the Highwood K-12 school district, which is ranked 182 out of 387 districts in Montana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Highwood School has a strong performance history, ranking as high as 1st out of 356 Montana elementary schools in the 2020-2021 school year and consistently earning a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Highwood School consistently outperforms the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the 2024-2025 school year, Highwood School had 47.83% proficiency in ELA, 34.78% in Math, and 57.14% in Science, compared to the state averages of 43.09%, 36.77%, and 38.16%, respectively. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.7 to 12 students per teacher in recent years, which is lower than the nearby schools of Hill Top Colony (9.3), Fort Benton (14.3), and Belt (13.3).

Highwood School spends $13,111 per student, which is higher than the $8,647 spent per student at the nearby Hill Top Colony School. Additionally, Highwood School has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 35.48% to 36.67% in recent years, compared to the nearby Fort Benton School at 49.38%. These factors may contribute to Highwood School's strong academic performance and consistent high rankings among Montana elementary schools.

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,435

Per pupil spending ?

35.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

160 West Street South
Highwood, MT 59450

(406) 733-2081

District: Highwood K-12

Students who attend Highwood School usually attend:

Middle:	Highwood Middle School
High:	Highwood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.8%

American Indian:

3.2%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 98th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Montana median (57th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg45%

Montana avg40%

171^st of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 40 pts since 2015

From top 2% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

182^nd of 387Highwood K-12 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	57.1	171 of 401	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.0	55 of 212	74.1%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	64 of 332	80.7%	★★★★☆
2022	86.1	57 of 329	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	99.3	1 of 356	99.7%	★★★★★
2016	97.6	5 of 191	97.4%	★★★★★
2015	97.9	7 of 287	97.6%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science57%+19 vs state

English Language Arts48%+5 vs state

Mathematics35%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Highwood 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
Highwood School	Public	PK, KG-5	160 West Street South	Highwood	59450	Chouteau County	Highwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 733-2081	62	5	11.8	35.5%	60 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57.1	171^st of 401 public elementary schools	57.4%		76	55^th of 212 public elementary schools	74.1%	116	47.8	34.8	$17,435
Belt School	Public	PK, KG-6	1 Church Street	Belt	59412	Cascade County	Belt Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 277-3351	178	13	13.3	34.3%	167 (93.8%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.1%)	3 (1.7%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	80.7	49^th of 401 public elementary schools	87.8%		89.9	20^th of 212 public elementary schools	90.6%	29	58.2	60.4	$11,907
Fort Benton School	Public	PK, KG-6	1406 Franklin	Fort Benton	59442	Chouteau County	Fort Benton Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 622-3761	162	11	14.3	49.4%	141 (87.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.8%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)	73.2	82^nd of 401 public elementary schools	79.6%		91.2	18^th of 212 public elementary schools	91.5%	64	50.7	64.0	$12,108
Hill Top Colony School	Public	PK, KG-8	909 Spring Creek Road	Stockett	59480	Cascade County	Centerville Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 736-5169	19	2	9.3		19 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.4	228^th of 401 public elementary schools	43.1%		30.5	160^th of 212 public elementary schools	24.5%	68	28.6	64.3	$9,626

Frequently Asked Questions about Highwood School

What schools do graduates of Highwood School attend?

Students who attend Highwood School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Highwood Middle School
High : Highwood High School

What district is Highwood School in?

Highwood K-12

How many students attend Highwood School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 62 students attended Highwood School.

What is the racial makeup of Highwood School?

Students at Highwood School are 97% White, 3% American Indian.

Is Highwood School a good school?

Highwood School ranks 171^st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Highwood School!

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Schools in Highwood, 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.