Cardwell School

Cardwell School is a minimally staffed elementary campus in Cardwell, Montana, overseen by Cardwell Elem. The school teaches 35 students in grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 167 students per school, that is 79% leaner than typical.

Cardwell School sits inside Cardwell Elem, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

On demographics, Cardwell School lists that nearly all students (80%) are White. The remainder breaks down as 9% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 6% Native American. The wider county runs roughly 92% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Cardwell School lists 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 7.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.9:1, putting Cardwell School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 57% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Jefferson County runs at roughly 28%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

Across the wider county, Jefferson County reports that median household income runs about $95,490, roughly 32% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Across Jefferson County's 12 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,872 students), Cardwell School is one campus in the mix.

Whitehall High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 7.1 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 3 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas.

Cardwell School operates from an outlying location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 24%: 46 students in 2018 compared to 35 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 93% to 80%. Class-load math has fell: from 8.2:1 in 2018 to 7.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.