Chouteau County Schools & Education
Chouteau County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
55/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
85.8%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
85.8%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,443
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
55/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#22
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Chouteau County
Measured School Summary
Chouteau County performs at an average level with a school score of 55/100 and a solid graduation rate of 85.8%.
Funding Context
Chouteau County spends $9,443 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 1% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Chouteau 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
55/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #22 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
85.8%
2.1 pts above the state average
Funding context
$9,443
$109 above the state average
School coverage
15
8 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Chouteau 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.
What Chouteau 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.
Mixed school landscape
Chouteau County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#22
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with 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.
Fort Benton Elem
Elementary and middle visible
249 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Big Sandy K-12
Elementary to high school visible
197 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Highwood K-12
Elementary to high school visible
117 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Fort Benton H S
High school only in this slice
107 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Big Sandy K-12 is the largest listed district slice, with 3 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 Chouteau County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Chouteau County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
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?
Data Story
Chouteau County Maintains Small Average School Size Across Rural Districts
Education data brief for Chouteau County, Montana.
Chouteau County is characterized by a very small average school size of 50 students, with 15 public schools serving a total of 745 students. All 15 schools are classified as rural by the NCES. The largest district is Big Sandy K-12, serving 197 students, while the largest individual school is Fort Benton Elementary with 195 students. The county’s graduation rate of 85.8% is higher than the Montana state average of 83.7% but below the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure stands at $9,443, slightly above the state average of $9,334 but lower than the national average of $13,000. The composite school score of 54.7 is nearly identical to the Montana average of 55.0. There are currently eight districts and no charter schools in the county. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
15
in Chouteau County
Reported Enrollment
745
15 schools reporting
School Districts
8
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
8 School Districts in Chouteau County
Fort Benton Elem
Big Sandy K-12
Highwood K-12
Fort Benton H S
Geraldine K-12
Benton Lake Elem
Knees Elem
Carter Elem
15 Public Schools in Chouteau 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 dataLevel
Showing 15 of 15 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton School | Record | Fort Benton Elem | Fort Benton, 59442Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 195 |
| Fort Benton High School | Record | Fort Benton H S | Fort Benton, 59442Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 107 |
| F E Miley School | Record | Big Sandy K-12 | Big Sandy, 59520Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 105 |
| Big Sandy High School | Record | Big Sandy K-12 | Big Sandy, 59520Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 63 |
| Highwood School | Record | Highwood K-12 | Highwood, 59450Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 56 |
| Fort Benton 7-8 | Record | Fort Benton Elem | Fort Benton, 59442Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 54 |
| Highwood High School | Record | Highwood K-12 | Highwood, 59450Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 39 |
| Geraldine Elementary | Record | Geraldine K-12 | Geraldine, 59446Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 34 |
| Big Sandy 7-8 | Record | Big Sandy K-12 | Big Sandy, 59520Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 29 |
| Highwood Middle School | Record | Highwood K-12 | Highwood, 59450Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 22 |
| Geraldine High School | Record | Geraldine K-12 | Geraldine, 59446Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 11 |
| Geraldine Middle School | Record | Geraldine K-12 | Geraldine, 59446Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 10 |
| Benton Lake School | Record | Benton Lake Elem | Floweree, 59440Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 9 |
| Knees School | Record | Knees Elem | Carter, 59420Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 6 |
| Carter School | Record | Carter Elem | Carter, 59420Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 5 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$9,443
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Chouteau County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
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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.