Shields Valley Elem, MT - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Shields Valley Elem

Shields Valley Elem serves students from pre‑kindergarten through eighth grade in a rural part of Park County, Montana. The district is very small, with total enrollment in the low hundreds. It operates two schools: an elementary school covering the primary and elementary grades and a separate 7‑8 building. Because the district does not include a high school, graduation rates do not apply here, and families will need to consider where their children attend ninth grade.

Academic performance is measured through state assessments in math, English language arts, and science, all taken by students in grades three through eight. On the most recent test in math, a majority of students scored at or above the proficient level. In English language arts, roughly half of students met that same benchmark. Science results from the prior year also showed about half of students reaching proficiency. The state changed the name and cut scores of the math and ELA assessments in the tested year, so direct comparisons to earlier years are not possible. The district’s overall proficiency across subjects could not be placed relative to other Park County districts because too few districts in the county had comparable data to form a reliable comparison.

The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a trace of Asian students represented in the total. Information on the share of students eligible for free or reduced‑price meals, those receiving special education services, and English learners was not reported in the available data, so the district’s economic and support‑service profile is less clear than it might be for a family comparing options.

The housing market in the area the district covers is notably expensive. Home values are substantially above the state median and also above the national median. Rental costs, while high, are a lower share of typical income relative to what a mortgage would require, suggesting that renting may be more accessible than buying for many households. The housing data draws from several zip codes in the region, including parts of Livingston, Bozeman, and Belgrade, which reflects the spread of the district’s attendance area.

Among the eight Park County districts with available data on chronic absenteeism, Shields Valley Elem’s rate sits above the midpoint. That means a larger share of students missed enough school to be considered chronically absent compared to the typical district in the county, a point a parent may want to explore further with the school. Per‑pupil current spending falls in the middle range but in the lower half of the county’s districts, indicating that the district operates on a relatively modest budget even by local standards.

No significant recent changes to the district’s operations, programs, or policies were reported in a review of publicly available information, giving the impression of a stable but quiet administrative environment.

Overall, Shields Valley Elem offers a very small, rural learning environment for elementary and middle school students, with academic results that are moderate. The absence of a high school means families must plan for the transition to a different district or school after eighth grade. The area’s high housing costs and the district’s above‑midpoint chronic absenteeism are factors to weigh against the appeal of a close‑knit, low‑enrollment school setting.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

141

Grades

PK–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 4%

White 94%

Asian 1%

Two+ 1%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Shields Valley Elementary

Shields Valley 7-8

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

59%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

53%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

52%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$710,726

Year-over-year change+3.8%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$548K to $871K

vs. state typical1.52x

vs. national typical1.93x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
59086		$743K	+4.3%	65.9%
59018		$639K	+5.5%	18.9%
59047	Livingston	$557K	-1.3%	8.4%
59715	Bozeman	$871K	-1.0%	3.7%
59714	Belgrade	$548K	-2.1%	0.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,643/mo

Year-over-year change+5.6%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,411 to $2,123/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
59047	Livingston	$1,411	+7.3%	8.4%
59715	Bozeman	$2,091	+2.3%	3.7%
59714	Belgrade	$2,123	+1.6%	0.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,586/mo

Home price / national median income8.5x

Annual rent / national median income23.6%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,943/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$467,919 (+1.3% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.