Hardin Primary

As a substantial elementary-level community in Hardin, Montana, Hardin Primary instructs 287 students from grades pre-K through 2, part of Hardin Elem. That puts it 72% above the typical public school in Montana, which averages around 167 students.

Hardin Primary is one of 5 schools operated by Hardin Elem, a district that works with 1,221 students overall.

On the student-mix side, Hardin Primary records that the largest single group is Native American, at 68% of enrollment; the rest breaks down as 21% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% multiracial, 2% Asian.

Looking at school resources, Hardin Primary shows 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.8:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 11.9:1 average. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

In the surrounding community, Big Horn County reports that median household income runs about $58,750, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 15%. Across Big Horn County's 16 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,535 students), Hardin Primary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Hardin Intermediate, roughly 0.3 miles away. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 15%: 337 students in 2018 compared to 287 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.