Meadowlark School

Set in Chinook, Montana, Meadowlark School is a middle-of-the-pack elementary-level community, operated by Chinook Elem. It hosts 144 students across grades pre-K through 6.

Meadowlark School is one of 3 schools operated by Chinook Elem, a district that enrolls 215 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Meadowlark School lists that the largest single group is White, at 76% of enrollment; the rest consists of 11% Native American, 8% multiracial, 3% Hispanic. By comparison, Blaine County as a whole is about 44% White, so the school skews meaningfully more White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Meadowlark School has 12 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.7:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 44% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is below Blaine County's rate of about 84%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Blaine County indicate median household earnings sit near $64,813, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Blaine County runs 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,323 students), of which Meadowlark School is one.

Chinook 7-8 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Meadowlark School.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Five-year trend. Meadowlark School's enrollment has fell 27% since 2018, when it stood at 198 (now 144). Over the same period, the White share edged down from 87% to 76%.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Meadowlark School typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.