Prickly Pear Elem

Prickly Pear Elem is one of the well-populated K-5 schools in East Helena, Montana, run under East Helena K-12, with 269 students on its rolls from grades 1 through 2. Compared to the state average of about 167 students per school, that is 61% larger than typical.

East Helena K-12 runs 7 schools in total, collectively educating 1,972 students. Prickly Pear Elem is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Prickly Pear Elem records that nearly all students (84%) are White. Other groups include 7% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 2% Native American.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 16.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.9:1, putting Prickly Pear Elem higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 44% of students at Prickly Pear Elem qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Around the school, census data for Lewis and Clark County shows median household earnings sit near $78,237, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Lewis and Clark County's 36 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,786 students), Prickly Pear Elem is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Radley Elementary School, roughly 0.2 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Prickly Pear Elem community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.