Judith Gap School

Judith Gap School is a small elementary school in Judith Gap, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of just 25 students. Despite its small size, the school faces significant challenges, as evidenced by its consistently low academic performance and high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Judith Gap School has struggled academically, with 0% proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics, far below the state averages of 43.09% and 36.77%, respectively. The school's science proficiency rate of 25% is also lower than the state average of 38.16%. This trend of underperformance has led to the school's statewide ranking dropping from 200 out of 287 elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 377 out of 401 in 2024-2025. In comparison, the nearby Hillcrest School in Harlowton, MT, has significantly better academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (24.55%), Mathematics (32.73%), and Science (18.42%) that are all higher than Judith Gap School's, despite serving a student population with a similarly high percentage of free or reduced-price lunch recipients.

The challenges facing Judith Gap School are further compounded by its high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, with 100% of students receiving this benefit in the 2024-2025 and 2023-2024 school years. This indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. While the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 4.5 to 8.4 students per teacher, suggests a potentially more personalized learning environment, the school's high per-student spending of $25,433 in the 2018-2019 school year has not yet translated into improved academic outcomes. The combination of these factors highlights the need for targeted interventions and support to address the unique challenges faced by Judith Gap School and its students.