Enrollment
242
Elementary
DISTRICT 285 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HELENA ELEM·NCES 300000500418
Central School
1325 Poplar, Helena, MT 59601 · (406) 324-1230 · Lewis and Clark County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL242 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
13.9:1
17 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
60%
146 students
DISTRICT 40% · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 4 | 2% |
| Kindergarten | 37 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 42 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 38 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 38 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 42 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 41 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (37) is 10% smaller than its 5th grade class (41).
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 29% · 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
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
42.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
37.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 42 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 37 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 Central School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central School this school | 242 | 60.3% | N/A |
| Burlington School Billings | 257 | 54.5% | N/A |
| Shelby Elementary School Shelby | 262 | 56.5% | N/A |
| Russell School Missoula | 375 | 55.2% | N/A |
| CORE School at Morningside El Great Falls | 297 | 57.6% | N/A |
| Lincoln School Great Falls | 373 | 54.7% | 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 Central School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Lewis and Clark County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 37.0% | #98 of 199 | #8 of 12 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #118 of 201 | #11 of 12 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 242 | #139 of 421 | #9 of 20 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.9:1 | #61 of 160 | #4 of 12 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.8% | #64 of 160 | #3 of 12 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 60.3% | #85 of 226 | #3 of 15 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.4% | #45 of 48 | N/A |
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
242
-34 (-12%) vs 2020
-17% since 1990-91, when it was 292
Student : Teacher
13.9:1
was 12.0:1
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 | 242 | 17.4 | 13.9:1 | 60% (146) |
| 2023-24 | 284 | 21.2 | 13.4:1 | 42% (118) |
| 2022-23 | 319 | 34.9 | 9.1:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 276 | 23 | 12.0:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 241 | 19.5 | 12.3:1 | 100% (241) |
| 2015-16 | 266 | 18 | 14.8:1 | 48% (129) |
| 2010-11 | 274 | 19 | 14.4:1 | 41% (111) |
| 2000-01 | 323 | 17 | 19.0:1 | 35% (114) |
| 1990-91 | 292 | 13 | 22.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Central School.
Since 2017-18: students unchanged (241 to 242); teachers down 11% (19.5 to 17.4).
About Central School
Central School is an elementary school located in Helena, Montana, in Lewis and Clark County. Students in pre-K through 5 make up the school's enrollment of 242 students. Elementary schools in Montana average about 167 students, which makes this school 45% above average.
Helena Elem oversees Central School and 14 other schools, with 5,100 students in total.
The share of White students at Central School is 79%, a majority. Other students are 10% Hispanic, 6% Native American, and 2% multiracial. That is lower than the 91% White share among all Lewis and Clark County residents. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 37%.
The school lists 17.4 full-time-equivalent teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.9:1. The average for elementary schools in Montana is 11.9:1, so this school has more students per teacher. A total of 146 students, or 60%, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Lewis and Clark County average 38%.
American Community Survey estimates for Lewis and Clark County show that the median household earns about $78,237 a year, about 43% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 3% of residents are in poverty. Lewis and Clark County has 36 public schools with about 9,786 students, including Central School.
Measured in a straight line, Helena P.A.L. is about 0.4 miles from Central School. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.
The NCES locale for Central School is City: Small, which covers schools inside a principal city with a population under 100,000.
The school's student count fell 12% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years. Over the same period, the student-to-teacher ratio increased to 13.9:1, from 12.0:1.
The discussion board for Central School is open to topics like pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Lewis and Clark County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
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
Related schools
Other schools in Helena Elem
- C R Anderson Middle SchlMiddle · 962 students
- Helena Middle SchoolMiddle · 701 students
- Four Georgians SchoolElementary · 482 students
- Jim Darcy SchoolElementary · 473 students
- Rossiter SchoolElementary · 369 students
- Bryant SchoolElementary · 288 students
Other schools in Helena
- Capital High SchoolHigh · 1,293 students
- Helena High SchoolHigh · 979 students
- C R Anderson Middle SchlMiddle · 962 students
- Helena Middle SchoolMiddle · 701 students
- Four Georgians SchoolElementary · 482 students
- Jim Darcy SchoolElementary · 473 students
Other Central schools
16 other US public schools in 12 states are named Central. Central School is the 15th largest of the 17.
- CENTRAL SCHOOLMILTON, FL · 732 students
- Central SchoolHuntsville, AL · 610 students
- Central SchoolPLEASANT GROVE, UT · 596 students
- Central SchoolLemont, IL · 591 students
- Central SchoolGlencoe, IL · 561 students
Nearby schools
- Helena P.A.L.0.4 mi · 58
- Hawthorne School0.5 mi · 183
- Helena Middle School0.6 mi · 701
- Jefferson School0.7 mi · 245
- Helena High School0.9 mi · 979
- Broadwater School1.1 mi · 207
Frequently asked questions
About Central SchoolHow many students attend Central School?
Central School enrolls approximately 242 students in grades PK-05.
Is Central School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Central School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Central School is approximately 13.9:1 (17 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Central School?
At Central School, the student body is approximately 79% White, 10% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Who oversees Central School?
Central School is overseen by Helena Elem in Lewis and Clark County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.