Shelby 6-8

Shelby 6-8 is a public middle school in Shelby, Montana, serving 109 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Shelby Elementary School District, which is ranked 313 out of 387 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shelby 6-8 has consistently underperformed compared to the state average in key academic metrics, such as proficiency in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 36.54% in ELA, 12.62% in Math, and 12.12% in Science, compared to the state averages of 43.09%, 36.77%, and 38.16%, respectively. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking among Montana middle schools has declined over the years, from 91 out of 156 in 2014-2015 to 179 out of 222 in 2024-2025. Shelby 6-8 also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 59.63% in 2024-2025 to 71.01% in 2023-2024, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.5 to 12.9 students per teacher in recent years, this does not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes. The data suggests that the academic challenges at Shelby 6-8 may be systemic within the Shelby school district, as the feeder school, Shelby Elementary, also underperforms the state average in academic proficiency.