schoolsbycounty

Big Horn County Schools & Education

School Score

31/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

74.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

74.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,791

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,334

School Score

31/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#54

of 56 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Big Horn County

Measured School Summary

Big Horn County faces educational challenges with a school score of 31/100 and a graduation rate of 74.8%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,791 per pupil, Big Horn County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 43% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 8.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 17% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Big Horn County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

15 public schools and 8 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

31/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #54 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.

Completion

74.8%

8.9 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,791

$1,543 below the state average

School coverage

15

8 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Big Horn County has 15 public schools across 8 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Big Horn County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Big Horn County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#54

of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 24 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Hardin Elem

Elementary and middle visible

1,284 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 0Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Hardin H S

High school only in this slice

512 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Lodge Grass Elem

Elementary and middle visible

274 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 0Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Lodge Grass H S

High school only in this slice

172 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Hardin Elem is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Big Horn County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Big Horn County district systems?

Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Big Horn County, Montana

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Diverse Districts Across Big Horn

Big Horn County operates 15 public schools, including eight elementary and three high schools, serving a total of 2,466 students. Eight school districts manage these facilities, which form the backbone of the region's educational system.

Hardin Dominates the Educational Scene

Hardin Elementary is the county's largest district, managing five schools and 1,284 students. No charter schools exist in the county, meaning 100% of the student population is enrolled in traditional public districts.

Sprawling Rural and Town Locales

The school system features a mix of 11 rural and four town-based locales, with an average school size of 164 students. Hardin High School is the largest campus with 512 students, contrasting with smaller rural primary schools across the county.

School Overview

Total Schools

15

in Big Horn County

Reported Enrollment

2,466

15 schools reporting

School Districts

8

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary8
Middle4
High3
Other0

8 School Districts in Big Horn County

Hardin Elem

5 schools
1,284 students

Hardin H S

1 school
512 students

Lodge Grass Elem

2 schools
274 students

Lodge Grass H S

1 school
172 students

Wyola Elem

2 schools
88 students

Pryor Elem

2 schools
71 students

Plenty Coups H S

1 school
58 students

Spring Creek Elem

1 school
7 students

15 Public Schools in Big Horn County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 15 of 15 matching schools

Hardin High School

Hardin H S

Hardin, 59034 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High512 students

Hardin Middle School

Hardin Elem

Hardin, 59034 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle404 students

Hardin Primary

Hardin Elem

Hardin, 59034 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–2Primary329 students

Crow Agency School

Hardin Elem

Hardin, 59034 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary271 students

Hardin Intermediate

Hardin Elem

Hardin, 59034 / Town: Remote

Record3–5Primary258 students

Lodge Grass School

Lodge Grass Elem

Lodge Grass, 59050 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary189 students

Lodge Grass High School

Lodge Grass H S

Lodge Grass, 59050 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High172 students

Lodge Grass 7-8

Lodge Grass Elem

Lodge Grass, 59050 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle85 students

Plenty Coups High School

Plenty Coups H S

Pryor, 59066 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High58 students

Wyola Elementary

Wyola Elem

Wyola, 59089 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary56 students

Arrow Creek Elem School

Pryor Elem

Pryor, 59066 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary47 students

Wyola 6-8

Wyola Elem

Wyola, 59089 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle32 students

Pryor 7-8

Pryor Elem

Pryor, 59066 / Rural: Distant

Record7–8Middle24 students

Fort Smith School

Hardin Elem

Hardin, 59034 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary22 students

Spring Creek School

Spring Creek Elem

Decker, 59025 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary7 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,791

State avg $9,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Big Horn County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Montana counties have the highest graduation rates?
Fallon County (95.0%), Phillips County (95.0%), and Powell County (95.0%) currently lead Montana among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Montana?
Across Montana counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,334. The highest current county values are Treasure County ($14,412), Petroleum County ($13,419), and Golden Valley County ($13,208). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Big Horn County?
Big Horn County has a school score of 31/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Big Horn County?
The high school graduation rate in Big Horn County is 74.8%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Big Horn County spend per student?
Big Horn County spends $7,791 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Big Horn County, Montana — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Big Horn County, Montana?

Big Horn County operates 15 public schools, including eight elementary and three high schools, serving a total of 2,466 students. Eight school districts manage these facilities, which form the backbone of the region's educational system.

What are the major school districts in Big Horn County, Montana?

Hardin Elementary is the county's largest district, managing five schools and 1,284 students. No charter schools exist in the county, meaning 100% of the student population is enrolled in traditional public districts.

What is the school experience like in Big Horn County?

The school system features a mix of 11 rural and four town-based locales, with an average school size of 164 students. Hardin High School is the largest campus with 512 students, contrasting with smaller rural primary schools across the county.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.