Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School

Q: Is Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School a good school?

Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.4% of North Dakota elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 605 students attended Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School?

Students at Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School are 99% American Indian.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

213^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 216 North Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of North Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Belcourt, North Dakota, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 672 students. The school is part of the Belcourt 7 school district, which is ranked 23rd out of 23 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 20% to 54% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average of 20%. The school's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in math and reading, is also consistently lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 20% of students were proficient or better in math, compared to 41% statewide, and 17% were proficient or better in reading, compared to 40% statewide. The school has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating that all students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Despite the relatively high spending per student, ranging from $11,833 to $16,003 over the past few years, the school's academic performance remains poor. Nearby schools, such as Dunseith Elementary School and Saint John Elementary School, have higher proficiency rates and lower chronic absenteeism rates, suggesting that addressing the underlying factors contributing to Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School's poor outcomes, such as poverty and attendance, will be crucial in improving the educational experience for its students.

605

Students ?

8.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,700

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1209 Gilbert Godon Street
Belcourt, ND 58316

(701) 477-6471

District: Belcourt 7

Students who attend Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Turtle Mountain Community Middle School
High:	Turtle Mountain Community High School

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

99.0%

Hispanic:

0.8%

African American:

0.2%

See top rated North Dakota elementary schools

Compare Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2016 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the North Dakota average (21% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 20% North Dakota)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school21%

District avg24%

North Dakota avg40%

213^th of 216

North Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

128^th of 134Belcourt 7 among North Dakota 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	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	7.9	213 of 216	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.6	210 of 217	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.8	211 of 215	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.3	216 of 217	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.3	206 of 207	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2020	15.2	191 of 203	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.3	191 of 203	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.8	191 of 202	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.1	193 of 199	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.8	190 of 194	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.6	179 of 181	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	23.6	193 of 217	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	18.4	199 of 217	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	11.6	186 of 195	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2015	33.1	8 of 8	0.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	6.6	143 of 143	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.2	134 of 138	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	132 of 137	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	138 of 141	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.5	132 of 132	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2020	9.6	128 of 132	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	128 of 132	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.9	127 of 130	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	8.9	125 of 128	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.5	121 of 123	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.1	106 of 109	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	9.8	142 of 143	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.6	134 of 138	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	136 of 137	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.6	140 of 141	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.6	132 of 132	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2020	20.9	122 of 132	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	122 of 132	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	120 of 130	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.6	125 of 128	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.2	120 of 123	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.9	108 of 109	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2015)<1st percentile~ school

Female (2025)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science24%-14 vs state

Math20%-21 vs state

Reading18%-22 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				A-Plus Math (2025)							A-Plus Reading (2025)							A-Plus Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	A-Plus Math 3rd Grade	A-Plus Math 4th Grade	A-Plus Math 5th Grade	A-Plus Math 6th Grade	A-Plus Math 7th Grade	A-Plus Math 8th Grade	A-Plus Math All Grades	A-Plus Reading 3rd Grade	A-Plus Reading 4th Grade	A-Plus Reading 5th Grade	A-Plus Reading 6th Grade	A-Plus Reading 7th Grade	A-Plus Reading 8th Grade	A-Plus Reading All Grades	A-Plus Science 4th Grade	A-Plus Science 8th Grade	A-Plus Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1209 Gilbert Godon Street	Belcourt	58316	Rolette County	Belcourt 7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 477-6471	605	75	8.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	599 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.9	213^th of 216 public elementary schools	1.4%		10.6	210^th of 217 public elementary schools	3.2%	3	19.0	19.0	24.0				20.0	13.0	19.0	24.0				18.0	24.0		24.0	$17,700	$4,077	$13,623
Turtle Mountain Elementary School	Public	K-5	1209 Gilbert Godon Street	Belcourt	58316	Rolette County	Turtle Mountain Elementary School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(701) 477-6471	544	17	32.9	99.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	544 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Ojibwa Indian School	Public	K-8	9620 42nd Ave NE	Belcourt	58316	Rolette County	Ojibwa Indian School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(701) 477-3108	220	16	14.1	98.6%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	220 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Mt Pleasant Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	201 5th St NE	Rolla	58367	Rolette County	Mt Pleasant 4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 477-3151	112	12	9.1	48.2%	59 (52.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	44 (39.3%)	1 (0.9%)	2 (1.8%)	70.7	44^th of 216 public elementary schools	79.6%		47.6	116^th of 217 public elementary schools	46.5%	72	64.5	54.5	59.0	44.5	39.5	39.5	44.0	64.5	54.5	29.5	54.5	39.5	59.5	45.5	69.0	49.5	54.0	$17,246	$00	$17,246
Saint John Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	400 Foussard Ave	Saint John	58369	Rolette County	St John 3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 477-5651	321	31	10.5	100.0%	10 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	289 (90.0%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.9%)	22.1	188^th of 216 public elementary schools	13.0%		30.4	172^nd of 217 public elementary schools	20.7%	16	29.5	29.5	19.5	49.5	39.5	59.0	39.0	29.5	29.5	19.5	39.5	59.5	59.0	35.5	29.5	49.0	34.0	$19,014	$00	$19,014
Rolette Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	901 3rd Ave NE	Rolette	58366	Rolette County	Rolette 29	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 246-3595	78	13	6.1	42.3%	42 (53.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	30 (38.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.4%)								(n/a)			54.5				39.0			64.5				44.0			34.5	$20,223	$1,865	$18,358
Dunseith Day School	Public	K-8	2994 99th St NE	Dunseith	58329	Rolette County	Dunseith Day School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(701) 263-4636	201	20	10.3	98.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	201 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Dunseith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	101 2nd Ave SW	Dunseith	58329	Rolette County	Dunseith 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 244-5792	236	27	8.7	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	231 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	6.9	214^th of 216 public elementary schools	0.9%		4.9	216^th of 217 public elementary schools	0.5%	2	19.5	10.0	10.0	19.5	19.5	29.0	19.0	29.5	19.5	19.5	10.0	19.5	39.0	23.0	19.5	24.0	19.0	$27,631	$5,457	$22,174

IMPORTANT NOTE: North Dakota does not publish exact assessment percentages; instead, results are reported as ranges (e.g., 20-29%) to protect student privacy in smaller groups. The proficiency rates displayed on SchoolDigger are calculated using midpoint imputation—the center value of each reported range. Actual values may differ by up to 5 percentage points from the figures shown.

Frequently Asked Questions about Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Turtle Mountain Community Middle School
High : Turtle Mountain Community High School

What district is Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School in?

Belcourt 7

How many students attend Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 605 students attended Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School.

Is Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School a good school?

Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.4% of North Dakota elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School?

Students at Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School are 99% American Indian.

Rate Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NDNorth Dakota Elementary School Rankings

NDNorth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Belcourt, ND

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Turtle Mountain Community Elementary School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

About North Dakota Assessment Data: To protect student privacy, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction reports assessment results as percentage ranges rather than exact values. SchoolDigger calculates proficiency rates using midpoint imputation, which uses the center value of each reported range. For example, a reported range of 20-29% is represented as 24.5%. As a result, the proficiency rates shown may vary by approximately ±5 percentage points from actual values. This variance is most significant for individual grade/subject combinations and diminishes when data is aggregated across multiple grades or subjects.

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.