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Dayton School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

321^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Dayton School is a small, rural elementary school in Dayton, MT, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 46 students. It is part of the Upper West Shore Elementary School District, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past several years, Dayton School's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 10th out of 287 schools in 2014-2015 (5-star rating) to 321st out of 401 schools in 2024-2025 (1-star rating). The school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 6.6 to 8.1, which is significantly lower than the nearby schools. However, Dayton School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally lower than the state averages and the scores of the surrounding schools, such as Swan River School, Pablo Elementary, and Bigfork Elementary.

The data suggests that Dayton School's performance has been declining relative to other schools in the state, and further investigation would be needed to identify the root causes of the school's challenges. While the school's low student-teacher ratio could be a potential strength, its overall academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is a concern that warrants attention from the school district and the community.

Students ?

7.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,932

Per pupil spending ?

50.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

506 B Street
Dayton, MT 59914

(406) 849-5484

District: Upper West Shore Elementary

Students who attend Dayton School usually attend:

High:

Polson High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.9%

American Indian:

15.2%

Two or more races:

10.9%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Dayton School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2015 → 20th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (25% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 77 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

District avg25%

Montana avg40%

321^st of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 77 pts since 2015

From top 3% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

324^th of 387Upper West Shore 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	26.1	321 of 401	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.1	163 of 212	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.0	178 of 332	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.8	150 of 329	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.5	277 of 356	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	97.2	10 of 287	96.5%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science50%+12 vs state

Mathematics25%-12 vs state

English Language Arts21%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Dayton 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
Dayton School	Public	PK, KG-6	506 B Street	Dayton	59914	Lake County	Upper West Shore Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 849-5484	46	6	7.6		34 (73.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.9%)	26.1	321^st of 401 public elementary schools	20.0%		29.1	163^rd of 212 public elementary schools	23.1%	158	20.8	25.0	$14,932
Lakeside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	255 Adams Street	Lakeside	59922	Flathead County	Somers Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 844-2208	303	21	14.5	29.4%	280 (92.4%)	4 (1.3%)	8 (2.6%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.0%)	63.4	135^th of 401 public elementary schools	66.3%					(n/a)	42.7	52.4	$11,626
Linderman School	Public	2-4	312 4th Avenue East	Polson	59860	Lake County	Polson Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 883-6229	355	23	15.4	66.5%	202 (56.9%)	4 (1.1%)	13 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	132 (37.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	48.5	216^th of 401 public elementary schools	46.1%					(n/a)	43.7	33.5	$10,986
Cherry Valley School	Public	PK, KG-1	107 8th Avenue West	Polson	59860	Lake County	Polson Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 883-6333	243	19	12.5	73.7%	152 (62.6%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	75 (30.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)			$16,183
Valley View School	Public	PK, KG-6	42448 Valley View Road	Polson	59860	Lake County	Valley View Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 883-2208	35	4	8.7	8.6%	28 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	5 (14.3%)	77.8	62^nd of 401 public elementary schools	84.5%		34.6	147^th of 212 public elementary schools	30.7%	85	52.6	57.9	$10,915
Bigfork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Commerce St	Bigfork	59911	Flathead County	Bigfork Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 837-7412	343	27	12.8	31.2%	318 (92.7%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.8%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	59.1	159^th of 401 public elementary schools	60.3%					(n/a)	49.2	38.3	$11,102
Kila School	Public	PK, KG-6	395 Kila Road	Kila	59920	Flathead County	Kila Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 257-2428	142	9	16.1	35.9%	131 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	60.1	154^th of 401 public elementary schools	61.6%					(n/a)	43.0	48.8	$11,409
Swan River School	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 Swan Highway	Bigfork	59911	Flathead County	Swan River Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 837-4528	106	8	12.9	100.0%	96 (90.6%)	2 (1.9%)	4 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	50.3	206^th of 401 public elementary schools	48.6%					(n/a)	52.7	20.0	$12,156
Pablo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	42080 4th Ave. E.	Pablo	59855	Lake County	Ronan Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 676-3390	229	17	13.4	100.0%	56 (24.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (46.7%)	1 (0.4%)	40 (17.5%)	38.6	258^th of 401 public elementary schools	35.7%		21.4	178^th of 212 public elementary schools	16.0%	80	30.4	36.3	$14,003

Frequently Asked Questions about Dayton School

What district is Dayton School in?

Upper West Shore Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Dayton School?

Students at Dayton School are 74% White, 15% American Indian, 11% Two or more races.

Is Dayton School a good school?

Dayton School ranks in the bottom 20.0% of Montana elementary schools.

How many students attend Dayton School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 46 students attended Dayton School.

What schools do graduates of Dayton School attend?

Students who attend Dayton School usually go on to attend:

High : Polson High School

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MTMontana Elementary School Rankings

MTMontana District Rankings

Schools in Dayton, 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.