Original Research by School Decision on Dept of Corrections-youth
This is the Montana Department of Corrections school district serving adjudicated youth. It operates two schools on the grounds of the Pine Hills Correctional Facility in Miles City: one for elementary and one for high school. This is not a typical district. The student body is small, composed entirely of youth in the state’s juvenile justice system. Enrollment is concentrated in the upper grades, with a heavy share of students in grade twelve. White students make up the majority, with a notable representation of American Indian or Alaska Native students and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. State testing data was not available for this district, and no graduation rate was reported; given the nature of the population and the setting, parents should understand that these metrics, where missing, reflect the unique circumstances of a correctional school rather than an absence of academic work. The district's per-pupil spending figure was also not available.
What is available is a chronic absenteeism rate among the lowest in the state, placing in the top quartile among Lewis and Clark County's districts. In a residential correctional facility, attendance is structurally different from a typical public school, where students come and go each day, so this number should be read in that context.
The most significant change for the district happened recently. In 2025, the Pine Hills Correctional Facility was restored to a juvenile-only facility for the first time in decades, following the relocation of adult male inmates to other state facilities. At the same time, the state's adjudicated female youth offenders, ages ten to seventeen, were moved back in-state from an out-of-state Idaho facility. This is a lasting shift in the district's population and educational mission, as the school now serves both male and female juvenile offenders within Montana. Publicly reported accounts describe the facility’s existing layout as already providing sight and sound separation for male and female juvenile populations, meaning no major renovations were required to accommodate the change.
For a parent or resident reading this, the core takeaway is that this district exists to serve a specific court-involved population in a secure residential setting. Its academic work, program offerings, and student support structures are designed for that mission, not for a typical community school or district. The two schools on site, Pine Hills Youth Corr Facil El and Pine Hills Youth Corr Facil HS, are the district’s only schools. No further information about special education rates, English learner services, or course access was available. A parent considering placement or involvement here is likely engaged with the juvenile justice system, and the district’s role is to provide education within that framework.
See more original research from School Decision →