Can I use Phillips County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Phillips County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Phillips County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Phillips County?

Start with the 13 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Phillips County Schools & Education

Name: Phillips County, Montana Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Phillips County, Montana

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

90/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

95.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

95.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$11,262

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,334

School Score

90/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

of 56 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Phillips County

Measured School Summary

Phillips County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 90/100 and a graduation rate of 95.0%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Phillips County spends $11,262 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 63% above the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 11.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 21% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Phillips 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

13 public schools and 5 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

90/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #5 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.

Completion

95.0%

11.3 pts above the state average

Funding context

$11,262

$1,928 above the state average

School coverage

5 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

Phillips County has 13 public schools across 5 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Phillips 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.

Higher-signal county

Phillips County screens well on the measured county-level school signal. The next check is whether that strength is broad across districts or concentrated in a few school pathways.

State position

of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 35 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.

Malta K-12 Schools

Elementary to high school visible

519 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Dodson K-12

Elementary to high school visible

92 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Whitewater K-12 Schools

Elementary to high school visible

39 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Saco Elem

Elementary and middle visible

38 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 0Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Malta K-12 Schools 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 Phillips County?

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

Phillips County Graduation Rate Reaches 95 Percent Mark

Education data brief for Phillips County, Montana.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

Phillips County reports a graduation rate of 95.0 percent, a figure that significantly exceeds the Montana state average of 83.7 percent and the national average of 87.0 percent. This high completion rate is paired with a composite school score of 89.9, which is substantially higher than the state average of 55.0 and the national median of 50.0. The county's 13 public schools are all classified as rural, serving a total of 698 students. The Malta K-12 Schools district is the largest in the county, enrolling 519 students across four schools. Per-pupil expenditure is $11,262, which is higher than the state average of $9,334 but remains below the national average of $13,000. The average school size across the county is 54 students. 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

in Phillips County

Reported Enrollment

698

13 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle4

High4

Other0

5 School Districts in Phillips County

Malta K-12 Schools

4 schools

519 students

Dodson K-12

3 schools

92 students

Whitewater K-12 Schools

3 schools

39 students

Saco Elem

2 schools

38 students

Saco H S

1 school

10 students

13 Public Schools in Phillips 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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Phillips County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Malta K-5	Record	Malta K-12 Schools	Malta, 59538Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	255
Malta High School	Record	Malta K-12 Schools	Malta, 59538Rural: Remote	9–12	High	143
Malta 6-7-8	Record	Malta K-12 Schools	Malta, 59538Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	117
Dodson School	Record	Dodson K-12	Dodson, 59524Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	45
Dodson High School	Record	Dodson K-12	Dodson, 59524Rural: Remote	9–12	High	31
Saco School	Record	Saco Elem	Saco, 59261Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	31
Whitewater School	Record	Whitewater K-12 Schools	Whitewater, 59544Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	21
Dodson 7-8	Record	Dodson K-12	Dodson, 59524Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	16
Whitewater High School	Record	Whitewater K-12 Schools	Whitewater, 59544Rural: Remote	9–12	High	13
Saco High School	Record	Saco H S	Saco, 59261Rural: Remote	9–12	High	10
Saco 7-8	Record	Saco Elem	Saco, 59261Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	7
Whitewater 6-8	Record	Whitewater K-12 Schools	Whitewater, 59544Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	5
Loring Colony School	Record	Malta K-12 Schools	Malta, 59538Rural: Remote	PK–8	Primary	4

Malta K-5

Malta K-12 Schools

Malta, 59538 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary255 students

Malta High School

Malta K-12 Schools

Malta, 59538 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High143 students

Malta 6-7-8

Malta K-12 Schools

Malta, 59538 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle117 students

Dodson School

Dodson K-12

Dodson, 59524 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary45 students

Dodson High School

Dodson K-12

Dodson, 59524 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High31 students

Saco School

Saco Elem

Saco, 59261 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary31 students

Whitewater School

Whitewater K-12 Schools

Whitewater, 59544 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary21 students

Dodson 7-8

Dodson K-12

Dodson, 59524 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle16 students

Whitewater High School

Whitewater K-12 Schools

Whitewater, 59544 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High13 students

Saco High School

Saco H S

Saco, 59261 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High10 students

Saco 7-8

Saco Elem

Saco, 59261 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle7 students

Whitewater 6-8

Whitewater K-12 Schools

Whitewater, 59544 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle5 students

Loring Colony School

Malta K-12 Schools

Malta, 59538 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary4 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$11,262

State avg $9,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Phillips 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 Phillips County?

Phillips County has a school score of 90/100, which is a higher 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 Phillips County?

The high school graduation rate in Phillips County is 95.0%, which is above 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 Phillips County spend per student?

Phillips County spends $11,262 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

Fallon County

Montana

+1 pts

91/100

School score

Toole County

Montana

-4 pts

86/100

School score

Prairie County

Montana

-5 pts

85/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed 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.

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