Lake County Schools & Education
Lake County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
60/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
89.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,551
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
60/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#18
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Lake County
Measured School Summary
Lake County performs at an average level with a school score of 60/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.6%.
Funding Context
Lake County spends $8,551 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 9% above the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 5.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Lake 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
20 public schools and 12 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
60/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #18 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
89.6%
5.9 pts above the state average
Funding context
$8,551
$783 below the state average
School coverage
20
12 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
Lake County has 20 public schools across 12 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 Lake 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
Lake 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
#18
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 5 points above 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.
Polson Elem
Elementary and middle visible
1,173 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Ronan Elem
Elementary and middle visible
1,105 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Polson H S
High school only in this slice
524 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
St Ignatius K-12 Schools
Elementary to high school visible
480 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Polson Elem 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 Lake County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Lake 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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Lake 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.
A Major Educational Hub in Western Montana
Lake County supports a large student population of 4,438 across 20 public schools. The diverse system is managed by 12 districts and includes 10 elementary, five middle, and five high schools.
High Achievement and Efficient Spending
Lake County achieves an excellent 89.6% graduation rate, which is significantly higher than both the state and national averages. This high performance is maintained with a per-pupil expenditure of $8,551, below the state average of $9,334.
Polson and Ronan Districts Excel
Polson Elementary is the largest district, serving 1,173 students, while Ronan Elementary follows closely with 1,105. All 20 schools are traditional public schools, with no charter options currently available in the county.
Dynamic Town and Rural Schools
The county features 16 rural schools and 4 town schools, with a relatively large average school size of 222 students. Polson Middle School and Polson High School are the largest campuses, each enrolling 524 students.
School Overview
Total Schools
20
in Lake County
Reported Enrollment
4,438
20 schools reporting
School Districts
12
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
12 School Districts in Lake County
Polson Elem
Ronan Elem
Polson H S
St Ignatius K-12 Schools
Ronan H S
Arlee Elem
Charlo Elem
Arlee H S
Charlo H S
Upper West Shore Elem
20 Public Schools in Lake 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 20 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polson High School | Record | Polson H S | Polson, 59860Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 524 |
| Polson Middle School | Record | Polson Elem | Polson, 59860Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 524 |
| Ronan Middle School | Record | Ronan Elem | Ronan, 59864Rural: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 446 |
| K William Harvey Elem | Record | Ronan Elem | Ronan, 59864Rural: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 425 |
| Ronan High School | Record | Ronan H S | Ronan, 59864Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 416 |
| Linderman School | Record | Polson Elem | Polson, 59860Town: Remote | 2–4 | Primary | 376 |
| Cherry Valley School | Record | Polson Elem | Polson, 59860Town: Remote | PK–1 | Primary | 273 |
| Pablo Elementary | Record | Ronan Elem | Ronan, 59864Rural: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 234 |
| St Ignatius Elementary School | Record | St Ignatius K-12 Schools | St Ignatius, 59865Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 229 |
| Arlee Elementary | Record | Arlee Elem | Arlee, 59821Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 206 |
| Arlee High School | Record | Arlee H S | Arlee, 59821Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 145 |
| St Ignatius High School | Record | St Ignatius K-12 Schools | St Ignatius, 59865Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 141 |
| St Ignatius Middle School | Record | St Ignatius K-12 Schools | St Ignatius, 59865Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 110 |
| Charlo Elementary | Record | Charlo Elem | Charlo, 59824Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 99 |
| Charlo High School | Record | Charlo H S | Charlo, 59824Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 83 |
| Arlee 7-8 | Record | Arlee Elem | Arlee, 59821Rural: Distant | 7–8 | Middle | 64 |
| Charlo 6-8 | Record | Charlo Elem | Charlo, 59824Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 62 |
| Dayton School | Record | Upper West Shore Elem | Dayton, 59914Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 43 |
| Valley View School | Record | Valley View Elem | Polson, 59860Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 36 |
| Salmon Prairie School | Record | Swan Lake-Salmon Elem | Swan Lake, 59911Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 2 |
St Ignatius Elementary School
St Ignatius K-12 Schools
St Ignatius, 59865 / Rural: Distant
St Ignatius High School
St Ignatius K-12 Schools
St Ignatius, 59865 / Rural: Distant
St Ignatius Middle School
St Ignatius K-12 Schools
St Ignatius, 59865 / Rural: Distant
Salmon Prairie School
Swan Lake-Salmon Elem
Swan Lake, 59911 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,551
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Lake 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 Lake County?
What is the graduation rate in Lake County?
How much does Lake County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Lake County, Montana — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Lake County, Montana?
Lake County supports a large student population of 4,438 across 20 public schools. The diverse system is managed by 12 districts and includes 10 elementary, five middle, and five high schools.
How do schools in Lake County perform academically?
Lake County achieves an excellent 89.6% graduation rate, which is significantly higher than both the state and national averages. This high performance is maintained with a per-pupil expenditure of $8,551, below the state average of $9,334.
What are the major school districts in Lake County, Montana?
Polson Elementary is the largest district, serving 1,173 students, while Ronan Elementary follows closely with 1,105. All 20 schools are traditional public schools, with no charter options currently available in the county.
What is the school experience like in Lake County?
The county features 16 rural schools and 4 town schools, with a relatively large average school size of 222 students. Polson Middle School and Polson High School are the largest campuses, each enrolling 524 students.
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.