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Paxson School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

30^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Paxson School is an exemplary elementary school in Missoula, Montana, serving 415 students in grades PK-5. This high-performing school consistently outshines the Missoula Elementary District and the state of Montana in academic assessments, with impressive proficiency rates of 65.26% in English Language Arts, 57.75% in Mathematics, and an outstanding 76.12% in Science.

Paxson School's excellence is further underscored by its statewide ranking, where it has been consistently among the top 30 elementary schools in Montana, reaching as high as 10th in the 2022-2023 school year. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 16.1, indicating a more personalized learning environment for students. In comparison, nearby schools like Hawthorne School (14.1) and Rattlesnake Elementary School (15.8) also have low student-teacher ratios, but Paxson School's academic performance still stands out.

While Paxson School's student population is less economically diverse than some of its neighbors, such as Lowell School (86.44% free and reduced-price lunch recipients) and Franklin School (80.29%), the school's academic excellence is achieved with relatively efficient resource allocation, spending only $8,643 per student in 2018-2019, lower than some nearby schools. This combination of high performance and cost-effectiveness makes Paxson School an exemplary model for elementary education in the Missoula Elementary District.

415

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,237

Per pupil spending ?

37.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 Evans
Missoula, MT 59801

(406) 542-4055

District: Missoula Elementary

Students who attend Paxson School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School
High:	Hellgate High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.1%

American Indian:

8.9%

Hispanic:

8.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 81st percentile in 2015 → 93rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (63% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Montana elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg47%

Montana avg40%

30^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to top 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 9Elementary Schools in the Missoula Elementary

165^th of 387Missoula 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	86.1	30 of 401	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	92.8	15 of 212	92.9%	★★★★★
2023	95.2	10 of 332	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.7	20 of 329	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	86.3	55 of 356	84.6%	★★★★☆
2019	75.7	26 of 123	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	35 of 116	69.8%	★★★★☆
2017	64.7	36 of 109	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	80.2	36 of 191	81.2%	★★★★☆
2015	80.2	55 of 287	80.8%	★★★★☆
2013	62.5	89 of 246	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.8	78 of 244	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.3	91 of 247	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	66.1	73 of 241	69.7%	★★★★☆
2009	73.9	32 of 190	83.2%	★★★★☆
2008	74.6	31 of 194	84.0%	★★★★☆
2007	78.8	14 of 230	93.9%	★★★★★
2006	64.4	79 of 234	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.7	71 of 218	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	43.2	139 of 217	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science76%+38 vs state

English Language Arts65%+22 vs state

Mathematics58%+21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Paxson 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
Paxson School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Evans	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4055	415	26	16.1	37.6%	316 (76.1%)	7 (1.7%)	33 (8.0%)	2 (0.5%)	37 (8.9%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.6%)	86.1	30^th of 401 public elementary schools	92.5%		92.8	15^th of 212 public elementary schools	92.9%	15	65.3	57.8	$13,237
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Park	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4035	429	28	15.1	32.2%	361 (84.1%)	7 (1.6%)	19 (4.4%)	4 (0.9%)	21 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	70.6	95^th of 401 public elementary schools	76.3%		82.4	31^st of 212 public elementary schools	85.4%	64	54.3	45.7	$13,535
Missoula TEACH Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	909 South Ave West	Missoula	59803	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 728-2400	84	5	16.8	69.0%	51 (60.7%)	8 (9.5%)	4 (4.8%)	13 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.5%)	27.3	318^th of 401 public elementary schools	20.7%					(n/a)	22.7	33.3
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	3216 Russell Street	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4080	375	28	13.5	55.2%	290 (77.3%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (8.3%)	8 (2.1%)	23 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.6%)	64.2	131^st of 401 public elementary schools	67.3%		81.5	37^th of 212 public elementary schools	82.5%	94	50.3	46.5	$14,546
Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	1910 S. 11th St	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4020	274	23	11.9	80.3%	197 (71.9%)	12 (4.4%)	32 (11.7%)	5 (1.8%)	15 (5.5%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.4%)	34.6	277^th of 401 public elementary schools	30.9%		63	89^th of 212 public elementary schools	58.0%	188	32.6	25.2	$16,619
Lowell School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Phillips St	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4040	354	24	14.7	86.4%	275 (77.7%)	19 (5.4%)	10 (2.8%)	3 (0.8%)	27 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)	30.8	297^th of 401 public elementary schools	25.9%		45.2	131^st of 212 public elementary schools	38.2%	166	28.5	28.3	$15,776
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Hiberta St.	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4025	417	29	14.1	53.5%	329 (78.9%)	3 (0.7%)	14 (3.4%)	10 (2.4%)	28 (6.7%)	2 (0.5%)	31 (7.4%)	58.4	164^th of 401 public elementary schools	59.1%		74.4	63^rd of 212 public elementary schools	70.3%	101	45.5	42.4	$15,622
Rattlesnake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1220 Pineview Drive	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4050	393	25	15.8	31.8%	341 (86.8%)	3 (0.8%)	25 (6.4%)	5 (1.3%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	81.8	45^th of 401 public elementary schools	88.8%		95.7	6^th of 212 public elementary schools	97.2%	39	62.6	53.4	$12,614
Chief Charlo School	Public	PK, KG-5	5600 Longview Dr	Missoula	59803	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4005	414	26	15.6	39.4%	348 (84.1%)	6 (1.4%)	24 (5.8%)	7 (1.7%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.8%)	61.8	143^rd of 401 public elementary schools	64.3%		80.5	40^th of 212 public elementary schools	81.1%	103	45.7	42.9	$14,681
Hellgate Elementary Primary Grades	Public	PK, KG-1	2365 Flynne Lane	Missoula	59808	Missoula County	Hellgate Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 721-2452	316	24	12.9	32.0%	234 (74.1%)	4 (1.3%)	25 (7.9%)	12 (3.8%)	7 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.4%)								(n/a)			$14,023

Frequently Asked Questions about Paxson School

Is Paxson School a good school?

Yes. Paxson School ranks in the top 7.5% of Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Paxson School?

Students at Paxson School are 76% White, 9% American Indian, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Paxson School attend?

Students who attend Paxson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School
High : Hellgate High School

What district is Paxson School in?

Missoula Elementary

How many students attend Paxson School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 415 students attended Paxson School.

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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.