Best Public Schools in Zip Code 59859

Summary:

The 59859 zip code area is home to 3 schools that are part of the Plains K-12 school district, including 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. While the elementary and middle schools in this district have performed well, with Plains Elementary School ranking 43 out of 212 Montana elementary schools and Plains 7-8 Middle School ranking 52 out of 123 Montana middle schools, the high school has struggled to match the state average in key academic areas.

The data shows that Plains Elementary School and Plains 7-8 Middle School have outperformed the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, Plains High School has significantly underperformed the state average in ACT proficiency for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, all three schools have a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite the differences in performance, the schools in the Plains K-12 district have consistent spending per student of $9,115 for the 2018-2019 school year. This may suggest potential funding disparities or inefficient resource allocation within the district, which could be further investigated to identify strategies for improvement and ensure equitable support for all students.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ACT with Writing English Language Arts (2025)	ACT with Writing Mathematics (2025)	ACT with Writing Science (2025)	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	ACT with Writing English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Science 11th Grade	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
Plains High School	Public	9-12	412 Rittenour	Plains	59859	Sanders County	Plains K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 826-8600	121	11	11.0	100.0%	113 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	36.7	131^st of 182 public high schools	28.0%		40.3	72^nd of 122 public high schools	41.0%	59	32.1	24.1	20.7			$14,967
Plains 7-8	Public	7-8	412 Rittenour	Plains	59859	Sanders County	Plains K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 826-8600	65	4	16.0	100.0%	59 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	57.4	90^th of 222 public middle schools	59.5%		56.2	52^nd of 123 public middle schools	57.7%	38				47.4	48.3	$14,136

Cities Near Zip Code 59859

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Plains	1.15 mi	5	43^rd
Hot Springs	13.43 mi	3
Saint Regis	16.21 mi	3
Superior	20.29 mi	3
Thompson Falls	21.97 mi	3

See the top MT Montana cities

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.