Golden Valley County Schools & Education
Golden Valley County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
97/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Higher Signal
Graduation Rate
—
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
N/A
National avg 87.5%
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,208
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
97/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#3
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Golden Valley County
Measured School Summary
Golden Valley County has a strong school score of 97/100. Graduation rate data is not available.
Funding Context
With $13,208 per pupil, Golden Valley County has adequate funding that generally covers core educational needs and some supplemental services.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 75% above the Montana average, while per-pupil spending is 42% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Golden Valley 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
6 public schools and 2 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
97/100
Higher measured signal. Ranks #3 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
Not reported
Graduation-rate comparison is unavailable for this county.
Funding context
$13,208
$3,874 above the state average
School coverage
6
2 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Golden Valley County has 6 public schools across 2 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 Golden Valley 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.
Small-system county
Golden Valley County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#3
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 42 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
2 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.
Lavina K-12 Schools
Elementary to high school visible
81 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Ryegate K-12 Schools
Elementary to high school visible
44 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Lavina K-12 Schools 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 Golden Valley County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Golden Valley 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
Golden Valley County Reports High Composite School Score of 96.5
Education data brief for Golden Valley County, Montana.
Golden Valley County records a composite school score of 96.5, more than 40 points higher than the Montana state average of 55.0 and the national median of 50.0. This score is accompanied by a per-pupil expenditure of $13,208, which exceeds the state average of $9,334 and aligns with the national average of $13,000. The county serves a small student population of 125 across six schools, all classified as rural by the NCES. These schools are split between two districts: Lavina K-12 and Ryegate K-12. Lavina K-12 is the larger of the two, enrolling 81 students across three schools, including Lavina Elementary with 38 students. Average school size in the county is 21 students. Graduation data and bachelor's degree attainment rates are currently unavailable for this jurisdiction. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
6
in Golden Valley County
Reported Enrollment
125
6 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Golden Valley County
Lavina K-12 Schools
Ryegate K-12 Schools
6 Public Schools in Golden Valley 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 6 of 6 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavina Elementary | Record | Lavina K-12 Schools | Lavina, 59046Rural: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 38 |
| Ryegate School | Record | Ryegate K-12 Schools | Ryegate, 59074Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 30 |
| Lavina Middle School | Record | Lavina K-12 Schools | Lavina, 59046Rural: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 25 |
| Lavina High School | Record | Lavina K-12 Schools | Lavina, 59046Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 18 |
| Ryegate High School | Record | Ryegate K-12 Schools | Ryegate, 59074Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 10 |
| Ryegate 7-8 | Record | Ryegate K-12 Schools | Ryegate, 59074Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 4 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$13,208
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Golden Valley 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?
How should I read the school score in Golden Valley County?
How much does Golden Valley 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.