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Schools›Montana›Helena
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HELENA H S·NCES 301383000429

Capital High School

100 Valley Drive, Helena, MT 59601 · (406) 324-2500 · Lewis and Clark County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL1,293 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

Enrollment
1,293
High
DISTRICT 593 · STATE 238
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
79 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.4:1 · STATE 11.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
28%
358 students
DISTRICT 38% · STATE 58%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Grade 933626%
Grade 1033826%
Grade 1132725%
Grade 1229223%
Student demographics
23%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 26% · STATE 40% · US 70%
White
1,13087%
DISTRICT 85% · STATE 76% · US 43%
Hispanic
705%
DISTRICT 6% · STATE 7% · US 30%
Black
131%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 1% · US 15%
Asian
151%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 1% · US 6%
Two+
453%
DISTRICT 4% · STATE 5% · US 5%
Native American
181%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 10% · US 1%
Pacific Islander
20%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 0%
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
Male
68553%
Female
60847%

Discussions

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Test scores

EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)
English Language Arts
53.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
33.0%
MT avg 36.0%

What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 33 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 Capital High School

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Capital High School this school1,29327.7%N/A
Sentinel High School
Missoula
1,36533.1%N/A
Billings West High School
Billings
2,11530.1%N/A
Helena High School
Helena
97931.4%N/A
C M Russell High School
Great Falls
1,41239.9%N/A
Bozeman High School
Bozeman
1,27913.6%N/A
Matched among Montana high 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 Capital High School ranks

Among high schools
MeasureThis schoolIn MontanaIn Lewis and Clark County
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
33.0%#22 of 68N/A
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
53.0%#20 of 70N/A
Enrollment
ranked largest first
1,293#10 of 180#1 of 7
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
16.3:1#37 of 50N/A
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
23.2%#35 of 50N/A
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
27.7%#70 of 83N/A
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-4.7%#22 of 25N/A
Ranked against other public high 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 2024-25
Enrollment
1,293
-73 (-5%) vs 2020
+22% since 1990-91, when it was 1,057
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
was 15.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-251,29379.416.3:128% (358)
2023-241,36785.116.1:116% (224)
2022-231,42788.516.1:1N/A
2020-211,3668815.5:1N/A
2017-181,35785.515.9:121% (289)
2015-161,2698415.1:125% (317)
2010-111,3838216.9:120% (281)
2000-011,4126123.1:16% (87)
1990-911,0576117.3:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Capital High School.

Since 2017-18: students down 5% (1,357 to 1,293); teachers down 7% (85.5 to 79.4).

About Capital High School

Capital High School is a high-enrollment high school in Montana, with an address in Helena. Federal data show 1,293 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25. High schools in Montana average about 238 students, which makes this school 443% larger than average.

Helena H S serves 2,373 students across 4 schools.

Of every 100 students at Capital High School, about 87 are White. Other students are 5% Hispanic and 3% multiracial. Census estimates put Lewis and Clark County at about 91% White, close to the school's figure. A diversity index of 23% means there is a 23% chance two randomly chosen students at Capital High School are from different groups.

Capital High School reports a ratio of 16.3 students per teacher, from 79.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. By comparison, the average for high schools in Montana is 11.3:1. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at Capital High School, 28% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 38% average for public schools in Lewis and Clark County is 10 points.

In the surrounding county, Lewis and Clark County, the median household earns about $78,237 a year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Counting Capital High School, Lewis and Clark County has 36 public schools.

Four Georgians School is about 0.7 miles from Capital High School, the shortest distance to any other public school. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools.

For locale, NCES codes Capital High School as City: Small.

From 1,366 students in 2020-21, enrollment fell to 1,293 by 2024-25.

The Capital High School discussion page is a place for homework, tutoring, and testing dates. You can also rate the school on this page.

Lewis and Clark County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
73,464
Census ACS
Median income
$78,237
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
3%
Below federal line
Schools in county
36
9,786 students

Quick facts

School name
Capital High School
District
Helena H S
Address
100 Valley Drive, Helena, MT 59601
Phone
(406) 324-2500
County
Lewis and Clark County
Level
High
Grade range
09–12
Total enrollment
1,293
Teachers (FTE)
79
Student–teacher ratio
16.3:1
Free and reduced lunch
358 (28%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
301383000429
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Helena H S
Other schools in Helena
Other Capital High schools

5 other US public schools in 6 states are named Capital High. Capital High School is the 3rd largest of the 6.

Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Capital High School
What is the total enrollment at Capital High School?
Capital High School enrolls approximately 1,293 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Capital High School serve?
Capital High School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at Capital High School?
Approximately 16.3:1 students per teacher at Capital High School.
How diverse is Capital High School?
Capital High School reports a student body of 87% White, 5% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Capital High School?
Capital High School is overseen by Helena H S in Lewis and Clark County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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