Ryegate School

Ryegate School is a small elementary school in Ryegate, Montana, serving grades PK-8 with just 33 students. The school is part of the Ryegate K-12 Schools district, which is ranked 327 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ryegate School faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance that places it in the bottom quartile of Montana elementary schools. In the 2024-2025 school year, 0% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, compared to state averages of over 35%. The school also has an extremely high rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, with 100% of students qualifying, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. Additionally, the small size of the school, with fluctuating student-teacher ratios, can present unique obstacles in providing a high-quality education.

In comparison, the closest neighboring school, Lavina Elementary, which is part of the Lavina K-12 Schools district, has significantly higher academic performance, with over 40% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 75% in Mathematics. Lavina Elementary also has a lower rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients at 74.19%, indicating a less economically disadvantaged student population. These disparities highlight the challenges faced by Ryegate School and the need for targeted interventions and support to improve educational outcomes for its students.