Rosebud County Schools & Education
Rosebud County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
46/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
73.7%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
73.7%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$10,588
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
46/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#33
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Rosebud County
Measured School Summary
Rosebud County has midrange measured school signals (score: 46/100) with a graduation rate of 73.7%, which warrants review in official state and district records.
Funding Context
Rosebud County spends $10,588 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 16% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 10.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 13% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Rosebud 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
15 public schools and 9 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
46/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #33 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
73.7%
10.0 pts below the state average
Funding context
$10,588
$1,254 above the state average
School coverage
15
9 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
Rosebud County has 15 public schools across 9 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 Rosebud 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
Rosebud 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
#33
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 9 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.
Lame Deer Elem
Elementary and middle visible
382 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Colstrip Elem
Elementary and middle visible
366 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Forsyth Elem
Elementary and middle visible
202 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Lame Deer H S
High school only in this slice
169 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Rosebud K-12 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 Rosebud County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Rosebud 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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Rosebud 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.
Small Schools Serving a Large Frontier
Rosebud County supports 1,503 students through a network of 15 public schools and nine districts. The school levels are fairly evenly split, with six elementary, five middle, and four high schools. This distribution ensures that students at all grade levels have access to local facilities across the county.
Colstrip Schools Drive County Enrollment
Colstrip Elementary is the most prominent district, serving 366 students across two schools. Other notable districts include Lame Deer Elementary and Ashland Elementary, which manage smaller student populations. Traditional public schools make up 100% of the landscape, as no charter schools currently exist in the county.
Exclusively Rural Learning Environments
All 15 schools in Rosebud County are classified as rural, offering a true Montana frontier education experience. The average school size is just 100 students, with Lame Deer School being the largest at 293 students. This environment is characterized by very small cohorts and close-knit student-teacher relationships.
School Overview
Total Schools
15
in Rosebud County
Reported Enrollment
1,503
15 schools reporting
School Districts
9
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
9 School Districts in Rosebud County
Lame Deer Elem
Colstrip Elem
Forsyth Elem
Lame Deer H S
Colstrip H S
Forsyth H S
Ashland Elem
Rosebud K-12
Birney Elem
15 Public Schools in Rosebud 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 15 of 15 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lame Deer School | Record | Lame Deer Elem | Lame Deer, 59043Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 293 |
| Pine Butte Elementary Sch | Record | Colstrip Elem | Colstrip, 59323Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 234 |
| Lame Deer High School | Record | Lame Deer H S | Lame Deer, 59043Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 169 |
| Colstrip High School | Record | Colstrip H S | Colstrip, 59323Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 151 |
| Forsyth Elementary School | Record | Forsyth Elem | Forsyth, 59327Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 149 |
| Frank Brattin Middle Schl | Record | Colstrip Elem | Colstrip, 59323Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 132 |
| Forsyth High School | Record | Forsyth H S | Forsyth, 59327Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 99 |
| Lame Deer 7-8 | Record | Lame Deer Elem | Lame Deer, 59043Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 89 |
| Ashland School | Record | Ashland Elem | Ashland, 59003Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 65 |
| Forsyth 7-8 | Record | Forsyth Elem | Forsyth, 59327Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 53 |
| Rosebud School | Record | Rosebud K-12 | Rosebud, 59347Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 32 |
| Ashland 7-8 | Record | Ashland Elem | Ashland, 59003Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 17 |
| Rosebud High School | Record | Rosebud K-12 | Rosebud, 59347Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 10 |
| Birney School | Record | Birney Elem | Birney, 59012Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 6 |
| Rosebud 7-8 | Record | Rosebud K-12 | Rosebud, 59347Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 4 |
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$10,588
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Rosebud 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 Rosebud County?
What is the graduation rate in Rosebud County?
How much does Rosebud County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Rosebud County, Montana — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Rosebud County, Montana?
Rosebud County supports 1,503 students through a network of 15 public schools and nine districts. The school levels are fairly evenly split, with six elementary, five middle, and four high schools. This distribution ensures that students at all grade levels have access to local facilities across the county.
What are the major school districts in Rosebud County, Montana?
Colstrip Elementary is the most prominent district, serving 366 students across two schools. Other notable districts include Lame Deer Elementary and Ashland Elementary, which manage smaller student populations. Traditional public schools make up 100% of the landscape, as no charter schools currently exist in the county.
What is the school experience like in Rosebud County?
All 15 schools in Rosebud County are classified as rural, offering a true Montana frontier education experience. The average school size is just 100 students, with Lame Deer School being the largest at 293 students. This environment is characterized by very small cohorts and close-knit student-teacher relationships.
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.