North Star School

North Star School operates as an intimate elementary school in Gildford, Montana, part of North Star Elem. Current enrollment sits at 83 students spanning grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 50% leaner than the typical public school in Montana, which averages around 167 students.

North Star Elem comprises 2 schools with combined enrollment of 108 students; North Star School is among them.

Looking at the student body, North Star School records that nearly all students (87%) are White. The remainder comes out to 6% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 2% Asian. By comparison, Hill County as a whole is about 68% White, so the school skews noticeably more White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, North Star School lists 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 8.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.9:1, putting North Star School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 60% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Hill County (around 97%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Hill County) shows that median household earnings sit near $52,798, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Hill County's 18 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,958 students), North Star School is one campus in the mix.

North Star 7-8 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 11.5 miles from this campus.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 11%: 93 students in 2018 compared to 83 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment ticked down from 12% to 5% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 10.5:1 in 2018 to 8.6:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.