West School

West School, a mid-sized elementary-level community in Laurel, Montana, overseen by Laurel Elem, enrolls 248 students, covering grades 1 through 2. Compared to the state average of about 167 students per school, that is 49% above typical.

Within Laurel Elem, which oversees 4 schools and 1,157 students, West School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, West School lists that nearly all students (85%) are White. The remainder comes out to 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. Compared to Yellowstone County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, West School reports 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.9:1, putting West School higher than the state norm the norm. Around 80% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Yellowstone County (around 48%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Yellowstone County indicate median household earnings sit near $76,570, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Yellowstone County runs 68 public schools (combined enrollment of about 23,853 students), of which West School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Laurel High School, around 0.7 miles off. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a town-center site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at West School has decreased 46%, going from 461 students in 2018 to 248 in 2025.

On this page, members of the West School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.