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Plains Elementary School

Q: Is Plains Elementary School a good school?

Plains Elementary School ranks 161 st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

161^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Plains Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Plains, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 218 students. The school is part of the Plains K-12 District, which is ranked 207 out of 387 districts in Montana and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Plains Elementary School has consistently performed well on state assessments, ranking among the top 25% of Montana elementary schools in recent years. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school outperformed the state average in all three tested subjects (English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science) at the all-grades level. Compared to the district-level performance, Plains Elementary School scored higher in English Language Arts and Science, but slightly lower in Mathematics. The nearby schools, such as Superior Elementary and St Regis School, have generally lower academic performance compared to Plains Elementary School, with lower proficiency rates in all three subjects.

Despite the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at Plains Elementary School, reaching 100% in the 2024-2025 school year, the school appears to be allocating resources efficiently. The school's spending per student, at $9,115 for the 2018-2019 school year, is lower than the nearby schools of Superior Elementary ($11,857) and St Regis School ($15,711). This suggests that Plains Elementary School has found effective ways to optimize its budget and provide quality education to its students, despite the socioeconomic challenges faced by the community.

218

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,936

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

412 Rittenour
Plains, MT 59859

(406) 826-3642

District: Plains K-12

Students who attend Plains Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Plains 7-8
High:	Plains High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.4%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Two or more races:

2.8%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Plains Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2019 → 60th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Montana median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg44%

Montana avg40%

161^st of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▼ down 25 pts since 2019

From top 15% (2019) to top 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

207^th of 387Plains 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	58.8	161 of 401	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.0	43 of 212	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	75.1	84 of 332	74.7%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	61 of 329	81.5%	★★★★☆
2021	63.3	148 of 356	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.7	19 of 123	84.6%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science53%+15 vs state

English Language Arts45%~ state avg

Mathematics41%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Plains Elementary 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
Plains Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	412 Rittenour	Plains	59859	Sanders County	Plains K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 826-3642	218	16	13.5	100.0%	197 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.8%)	58.8	161^st of 401 public elementary schools	59.9%		80	43^rd of 212 public elementary schools	79.7%	118	45.5	40.9	$12,936
Hot Springs School	Public, Virtual	PK, KG-6	301 Broadway	Hot Springs	59845	Sanders County	Hot Springs K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	Yes	(406) 741-2014	111	8	13.8	65.8%	72 (64.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (19.8%)	21.5	339^th of 401 public elementary schools	15.5%					(n/a)	20.6	20.6	$17,528
St Regis School	Public	PK, KG-6	90 Tiger Street	Saint Regis	59866	Mineral County	St Regis K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 649-2311	105	8	12.4	100.0%	80 (76.2%)	1 (1.0%)	8 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.3%)	29.9	304^th of 401 public elementary schools	24.2%					(n/a)	28.9	28.9
Superior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1003 5th Ave E	Superior	59872	Mineral County	Superior K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 822-3600	185	17	10.6	100.0%	172 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.9%)	56.2	177^th of 401 public elementary schools	55.9%					(n/a)	50.6	32.6	$12,156

Frequently Asked Questions about Plains Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Plains Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Plains Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Plains 7-8
High : Plains High School

What is the racial makeup of Plains Elementary School?

Students at Plains Elementary School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Plains Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 218 students attended Plains Elementary School.

What district is Plains Elementary School in?

Plains K-12

Is Plains Elementary School a good school?

Plains Elementary School ranks 161^st of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.