schoolsbycounty

Musselshell County Schools & Education

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

82.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

82.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,250

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,334

School Score

42/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#42

of 56 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Musselshell County

Measured School Summary

Musselshell County has midrange measured school signals (score: 42/100) with a graduation rate of 82.7%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Musselshell County spends $8,250 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 23% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 12% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Musselshell 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 4 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

42/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #42 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.

Completion

82.7%

1.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,250

$1,084 below the state average

School coverage

6

4 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

Musselshell County has 6 public schools across 4 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 Musselshell 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

Musselshell 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

#42

of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 13 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.

Roundup Elem

Elementary and middle visible

407 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 0Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Roundup High School

High school only in this slice

172 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Melstone Elem

Elementary and middle visible

47 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 0Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Melstone H S

High school only in this slice

33 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Melstone Elem is the largest listed district slice, with 2 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 Musselshell County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Musselshell 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?

Data Story

Musselshell County Reports Lower Composite School Score Than State Average

Education data brief for Musselshell County, Montana.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:School score

In Musselshell County, the composite school score of 42.2 stands as the most distinctive metric, trailing both the Montana state average of 55.0 and the national median of 50.0. The county operates six public schools, all of which are classified as rural locales by the National Center for Education Statistics. These schools serve a total enrollment of 659 students, with Roundup Elementary functioning as the largest facility, housing 317 students. Education funding in the county is recorded at $8,250 per pupil, which is below the state average of $9,334 and significantly lower than the national average of approximately $13,000. The graduation rate of 82.7 percent is also slightly behind the state mark of 83.7 percent and the national benchmark of 87 percent. Currently, 407 students are enrolled in the Roundup Elementary district, the largest of the four districts in the county. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

6

in Musselshell County

Reported Enrollment

659

6 schools reporting

School Districts

4

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary2
Middle2
High2
Other0

4 School Districts in Musselshell County

Roundup Elem

2 schools
407 students

Roundup High School

1 school
172 students

Melstone Elem

2 schools
47 students

Melstone H S

1 school
33 students

6 Public Schools in Musselshell 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 6 of 6 matching schools

Roundup Elementary

Roundup Elem

Roundup, 59072 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary317 students

Roundup H S

Roundup High School

Roundup, 59072 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High172 students

Roundup 7-8

Roundup Elem

Roundup, 59072 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle90 students

Melstone School

Melstone Elem

Melstone, 59054 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary35 students

Melstone High School

Melstone H S

Melstone, 59054 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High33 students

Melstone Middle School

Melstone Elem

Melstone, 59054 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle12 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,250

State avg $9,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Musselshell 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 Musselshell County?
Musselshell County has a school score of 42/100, which is a midrange 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 Musselshell County?
The high school graduation rate in Musselshell County is 82.7%, 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 Musselshell County spend per student?
Musselshell County spends $8,250 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.

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.