Enrollment
78
Elementary
DISTRICT 48 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·OLNEY-BISSELL ELEM·NCES 301095000296
Bissell School
5955 Farm To Market Road, Whitefish, MT 59937 · (406) 862-2828 · Flathead County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL78 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
8.9:1
9 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 9.6:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
37%
29 students
DISTRICT 36% · STATE 58%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 11 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 11 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 8 | 10% |
| Grade 3 | 13 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 15 | 19% |
| Grade 5 | 9 | 12% |
| Grade 6 | 11 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (11) is about the same size as its 6th grade class (11).
Student demographics
17%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 16% · STATE 40% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Bissell School→Bissell 7-8
Based on grade levels within Olney-Bissell Elem. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
54.5%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
34.5%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 55 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 35 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Montana schools, those numbers are about 47 and 36.
Source: EDFacts (federal). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Bissell School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bissell School this school | 78 | 37.2% | N/A |
| Absarokee School Absarokee | 79 | 35.4% | N/A |
| White Sulphur Springs El White Sulphur Springs | 91 | 38.5% | N/A |
| Lincoln School Baker | 101 | 33.7% | N/A |
| Washington School Hamilton | 65 | 43.1% | N/A |
| Twin Bridges School Twin Bridges | 90 | 43.3% | N/A |
Matched among Montana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Bissell School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Flathead County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 78 | #247 of 421 | #23 of 25 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
78
+8 (+11%) vs 2020
+24% since 1990-91, when it was 63
Student : Teacher
8.9:1
was 11.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 78 | 8.8 | 8.9:1 | 37% (29) |
| 2023-24 | 74 | 8.8 | 8.5:1 | 53% (39) |
| 2022-23 | 89 | 6.4 | 13.9:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 70 | 6 | 11.7:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 64 | 5.8 | 11.1:1 | 41% (26) |
| 2015-16 | 67 | 7 | 9.6:1 | 51% (34) |
| 2010-11 | 81 | 7 | 11.6:1 | 65% (53) |
| 2000-01 | 55 | 4 | 13.8:1 | 0% (0) |
| 1990-91 | 63 | 4 | 15.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Bissell School.
Since 2017-18: students up 22% (64 to 78); teachers up 51% (5.8 to 8.8).
About Bissell School
Bissell School is a small elementary school that serves part of Whitefish, Montana. It offers pre-K through 6 and has 78 students enrolled. That is 53% below the average of about 167 students for elementary schools in Montana.
Bissell School is one school in Olney-Bissell Elem, a system of 2 schools with 95 students.
White students are 91% of those enrolled at Bissell School. The next largest groups are 4% multiracial, 3% Hispanic, and 3% Pacific Islander. That is in line with Flathead County, where about 91% of residents are White. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 17, compared with 70 nationally.
Bissell School reported 8.8 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, a ratio of 8.9:1. Elementary schools in Montana have an average ratio of 11.9:1. Roughly 37% of students at Bissell School can receive free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Flathead County average 75%.
American Community Survey estimates for Flathead County show that the median household earns about $73,925 a year, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 37%, and roughly 5% of residents are in poverty. Across Flathead County, 48 public schools serve about 14,957 students.
Bissell School's nearest public school is Bissell 7-8 (less than a tenth of a mile). Inside a ten-mile radius, there are 6 other public schools.
The school's locale code, Rural: Distant, means it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Enrollment in 2024-25 stood at 78, compared with 70 in 2020-21. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 11.7:1; by 2024-25 it was 8.9:1.
People can post here about open houses, carpools, and field trips and other school topics. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Flathead County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
110,695
Census ACS
Median income
$73,925
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
14,957 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Whitefish
- L A Muldown SchoolElementary · 661 students
- Whitefish Middle 5-8Middle · 657 students
- Whitefish High SchoolHigh · 618 students
- Bissell 7-8Middle · 17 students
Nearby schools
- Bissell 7-80.0 mi · 17
- Whitefish Middle 5-86.4 mi · 657
- Whitefish High School6.6 mi · 618
- L A Muldown School6.7 mi · 661
- West Valley School9.2 mi · 434
- West Valley Middle School9.2 mi · 372
Frequently asked questions
About Bissell SchoolHow many students attend Bissell School?
Bissell School enrolls approximately 78 students in grades PK-06.
What age range does Bissell School serve?
Bissell School serves students from grade PK through grade 06.
How many students per teacher at Bissell School?
Approximately 8.9:1 students per teacher at Bissell School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Bissell School?
At Bissell School, the student body is approximately 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 4% Two or more.
What district is Bissell School in?
Bissell School is part of Olney-Bissell Elem.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.