Fergus County Schools & Education
Fergus County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
39/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
80.8%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
80.8%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,155
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
39/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#46
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Fergus County
Measured School Summary
Fergus County faces educational challenges with a school score of 39/100 and a graduation rate of 80.8%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
Fergus County spends $8,155 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 29% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Fergus 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
24 public schools and 14 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
39/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #46 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
80.8%
2.9 pts below the state average
Funding context
$8,155
$1,179 below the state average
School coverage
24
14 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
Fergus County has 24 public schools across 14 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 Fergus 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
Fergus 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
#46
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 16 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.
Lewistown Elem
Elementary and middle visible
888 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
Fergus H S
High school only in this slice
356 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
Winifred K-12 Schools
Elementary to high school visible
154 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Grass Range Elem
Elementary and middle visible
58 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Lewistown Elem is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Fergus County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Fergus 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
High District Fragmentation Noted Across Fergus County Schools
Education data brief for Fergus County, Montana.
Fergus County features a highly fragmented administrative structure, with 14 school districts managing 24 public schools for a total of 1,634 students. This results in an average school size of only 68 students, with many rural districts serving very small populations; for instance, Roy K-12 Schools manages three schools with a combined enrollment of just 18 students. The county’s graduation rate of 80.8% trails the state average of 83.7% and the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil spending is $8,155, which is lower than both state ($9,334) and national ($13,000) averages. The composite school score is 39.1, below the state average of 55.0. Lewistown Elem is the largest district, serving 888 students, and Fergus High School is the largest campus with 356 students. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
24
in Fergus County
Reported Enrollment
1,634
24 schools reporting
School Districts
14
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
14 School Districts in Fergus County
Lewistown Elem
Fergus H S
Winifred K-12 Schools
Grass Range Elem
Moore Elem
Denton Elem
Grass Range H S
Roy K-12 Schools
Moore H S
Deerfield Elem
24 Public Schools in Fergus 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 20 of 24 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fergus High School | Record | Fergus H S | Lewistown, 59457Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 356 |
| Highland Park School | Record | Lewistown Elem | Lewistown, 59457Town: Remote | 2–5 | Primary | 304 |
| Lewis & Clark School | Record | Lewistown Elem | Lewistown, 59457Town: Remote | 5–6 | Middle | 210 |
| Lewistown 7-8 | Record | Lewistown Elem | Lewistown, 59457Town: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 197 |
| Garfield School | Record | Lewistown Elem | Lewistown, 59457Town: Remote | PK–2 | Primary | 177 |
| Winifred School | Record | Winifred K-12 Schools | Winifred, 59489Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 83 |
| Grass Range School | Record | Grass Range Elem | Grass Range, 59032Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 46 |
| Winifred High School | Record | Winifred K-12 Schools | Winifred, 59489Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 44 |
| Moore School | Record | Moore Elem | Moore, 59464Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 34 |
| Denton School | Record | Denton Elem | Denton, 59430Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 28 |
| Winifred 6-8 | Record | Winifred K-12 Schools | Winifred, 59489Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 27 |
| Grass Range High School | Record | Grass Range H S | Grass Range, 59032Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 18 |
| Moore High School | Record | Moore H S | Moore, 59464Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 16 |
| Moore 6-8 | Record | Moore Elem | Moore, 59464Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 14 |
| Deerfield School | Record | Deerfield Elem | Lewistown, 59457Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 13 |
| Grass Range 7-8 | Record | Grass Range Elem | Grass Range, 59032Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 12 |
| Ayers School | Record | Ayers Elem | Grass Range, 59032Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 11 |
| Denton High School | Record | Denton H S | Denton, 59430Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 10 |
| Denton 7-8 | Record | Denton Elem | Denton, 59430Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 7 |
| King Colony School | Record | King Colony Elem | Lewistown, 59457Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 7 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,155
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Fergus 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
Which Montana counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Montana?
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What is the graduation rate in Fergus County?
How much does Fergus County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.