Pine Butte Elementary Sch

Set in Colstrip, Montana, Pine Butte Elementary Sch is an average-sized elementary campus, run under Colstrip Elem. It instructs 217 students across grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 30% above the typical public school in Montana, which averages around 167 students.

Across the 2 schools in Colstrip Elem (336 students total), Pine Butte Elementary Sch accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Pine Butte Elementary Sch records that the most-represented group is White (47%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder reads as 36% Native American, 12% Hispanic, 5% multiracial.

On the resource side, The school employs 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.1:1. The state averages about 11.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 47% 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 Rosebud County (around 66%), the school's rate is south of typical.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Rosebud County indicate median household income runs about $49,914, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 17%. Pine Butte Elementary Sch is one of 15 public schools in Rosebud County (combined enrollment of about 1,463 students).

The closest other public school is Colstrip High School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Pine Butte Elementary Sch.

Pine Butte Elementary Sch operates from a countryside location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 14%: 252 students in 2018 compared to 217 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 56% to 47% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.