Enrollment
106
Elementary
DISTRICT 79 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SWAN RIVER ELEM·NCES 302550000730
Swan River School
1205 Swan Highway, Bigfork, MT 59911 · (406) 837-4528 · Flathead County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL106 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
13.0:1
8 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.4:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
100%
106 students
DISTRICT 100% · STATE 58%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 12 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 18 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 21 | 20% |
| Grade 3 | 17 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 17 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 21 | 20% |
This year's kindergarten class (12) is 43% smaller than its 5th grade class (21).
Student demographics
18%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 21% · STATE 40% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Swan River School→Swan River 6-8
Based on grade levels within Swan River Elem. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
42.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
17.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 42 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 17 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Montana schools, those numbers are about 47 and 36.
Source: EDFacts (federal). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Swan River School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan River School this school | 106 | 100.0% | N/A |
| Philipsburg School Philipsburg | 100 | 100.0% | N/A |
| Marion School Marion | 114 | 100.0% | N/A |
| St Regis School St Regis | 105 | 100.0% | N/A |
| Darby School Darby | 170 | 100.0% | N/A |
| Alberton Elementary Alberton | 89 | 100.0% | N/A |
Matched among Montana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Swan River School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Flathead County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 17.0% | #187 of 199 | #21 of 21 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #136 of 201 | #17 of 21 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 106 | #221 of 421 | #21 of 25 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 100% | #43 of 226 | #11 of 21 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
106
-40 (-27%) vs 2020
+3% since 1990-91, when it was 103
Student : Teacher
13.0:1
was 18.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 106 | 8.2 | 13.0:1 | 100% (106) |
| 2023-24 | 111 | 8.3 | 13.4:1 | 33% (37) |
| 2022-23 | 112 | 9 | 12.4:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 146 | 8 | 18.3:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 117 | 8.6 | 13.6:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2015-16 | 119 | 9 | 13.2:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2010-11 | 118 | 8 | 14.8:1 | 42% (50) |
| 2000-01 | 115 | 9 | 12.8:1 | 23% (27) |
| 1990-91 | 103 | 7 | 14.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Swan River School.
Since 2017-18: students down 9% (117 to 106); teachers down 5% (8.6 to 8.2).
About Swan River School
Located in Bigfork, Montana, Swan River School is a small elementary school. It educates 106 students in pre-K through 5. The typical figure for elementary schools in Montana is about 167 students.
The district, Swan River Elem, operates 2 schools serving 158 students.
Federal enrollment data show Swan River School is 91% White. Other groups make up 4% Hispanic and 4% multiracial. County-wide, about 91% of residents are White. Pick two students at random and there is an 18% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Teacher staffing is 8.2 full-time equivalents, or about 13.0 students per teacher. On average, elementary schools in Montana have 11.9:1, compared with 13.0:1 here. About 100% of students, or 106, qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Flathead County average 75%.
Census estimates describe Flathead County this way: the median household income is $73,925, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 37%, and about 5% of people live in poverty. Besides Swan River School, Flathead County has 47 other public schools.
Swan River 6-8 is the nearest neighboring public school, less than a tenth of a mile away. Within five miles of Swan River School, there are 4 other public schools.
The school's federal locale classification is Rural: Remote.
Compared with 2020-21, the school had 40 fewer students in 2024-25. Federal data show the ratio falling from 18.3:1 to 13.0:1.
Community posts for Swan River School can cover enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Flathead County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
110,695
Census ACS
Median income
$73,925
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
14,957 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Bigfork
- Bigfork ElementaryElementary · 343 students
- Bigfork High SchoolHigh · 333 students
- Bigfork 6-8Middle · 236 students
- Swan River 6-8Middle · 52 students
Nearby schools
- Swan River 6-80.0 mi · 52
- Bigfork Elementary3.2 mi · 343
- Bigfork 6-83.2 mi · 236
- Bigfork High School3.2 mi · 333
- Creston School8.2 mi · 83
- Somers Middle School9.0 mi · 231
Frequently asked questions
About Swan River SchoolHow many students attend Swan River School?
Swan River School enrolls approximately 106 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Swan River School serve?
Swan River School serves grades PK-05.
How many students per teacher at Swan River School?
Approximately 13.0:1 students per teacher at Swan River School.
What is the student diversity at Swan River School?
Student demographics at Swan River School are roughly 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Swan River School?
Swan River School is overseen by Swan River Elem in Flathead County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.