schoolsbycounty

Sweet Grass County Schools & Education

School Score

83/100

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

$8,992

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,334

School Score

83/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#10

of 56 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Sweet Grass County

Measured School Summary

Sweet Grass County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 83/100 and a graduation rate of 95.0%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Sweet Grass County spends $8,992 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 50% above the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 11.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Sweet Grass 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 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

83/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #10 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.

Completion

95.0%

11.3 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,992

$342 below the state average

School coverage

6

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

Sweet Grass County has 6 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.

Parent decision brief

What Sweet Grass 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

Sweet Grass 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

#10

of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 28 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.

Big Timber Elem

Elementary and middle visible

318 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 0Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Sweet Grass County H S

High school only in this slice

161 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Melville Elem

Elementary school only in this slice

32 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

Greycliff Elem

Elementary school only in this slice

6 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Big Timber 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 Sweet Grass County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Sweet Grass 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 Sweet Grass 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 Small-Scale Educational Infrastructure

Sweet Grass County supports a compact educational network of 6 public schools serving 522 students. The infrastructure includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school distributed across five local districts.

Big Timber Elementary Leads the County

The Big Timber Elementary district is the primary provider of education here, managing two schools with 318 total students. No charter schools currently operate in the county, meaning traditional public districts manage 100% of the local student population.

Intimate Learning in a Rural Setting

All six schools in the county are classified as rural, with an average school size of just 87 students. While Big Timber School serves 243 students, the Greycliff School offers a highly personalized experience for only 6 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

6

in Sweet Grass County

Reported Enrollment

522

6 schools reporting

School Districts

5

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4
Middle1
High1
Other0

5 School Districts in Sweet Grass County

Big Timber Elem

2 schools
318 students

Sweet Grass County H S

1 school
161 students

Melville Elem

1 school
32 students

Greycliff Elem

1 school
6 students

McLeod Elem

1 school
5 students

6 Public Schools in Sweet Grass 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

Big Timber School

Big Timber Elem

Big Timber, 59011 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary243 students

Sweet Grass Co High Schl

Sweet Grass County H S

Big Timber, 59011 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High161 students

Big Timber 7-8

Big Timber Elem

Big Timber, 59011 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle75 students

Melville School

Melville Elem

Melville, 59055 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary32 students

Greycliff School

Greycliff Elem

Greycliff, 59033 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary6 students

McLeod School

McLeod Elem

Big Timber, 59011 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary5 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,992

State avg $9,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Sweet Grass 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.

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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 Sweet Grass County?
Sweet Grass County has a school score of 83/100, 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 Sweet Grass County?
The high school graduation rate in Sweet Grass 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 Sweet Grass County spend per student?
Sweet Grass County spends $8,992 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Sweet Grass County, Montana — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Sweet Grass County, Montana?

Sweet Grass County supports a compact educational network of 6 public schools serving 522 students. The infrastructure includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school distributed across five local districts.

What are the major school districts in Sweet Grass County, Montana?

The Big Timber Elementary district is the primary provider of education here, managing two schools with 318 total students. No charter schools currently operate in the county, meaning traditional public districts manage 100% of the local student population.

What is the school experience like in Sweet Grass County?

All six schools in the county are classified as rural, with an average school size of just 87 students. While Big Timber School serves 243 students, the Greycliff School offers a highly personalized experience for only 6 students.

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.