Original Research by School Decision on Choteau H S
Choteau H S is a small public school district in Teton County, Montana, serving only grades nine through twelve. The district operates a single school—Choteau High School—and its enrollment is small for a high school, reflecting the rural and sparse population of the area. The student body is predominantly white, with a handful of students from American Indian, Hispanic, Black, and multiracial backgrounds.
State testing data for the most recent school year was suppressed, meaning the results were withheld from public reporting. Montana also changed its assessment name and cut scores that year, so even if the numbers were available, comparisons to prior years would be unclear. Because of this, there is no reliable picture of overall academic proficiency from state tests for this district at this time. A parent who wants to understand how Choteau High School's students perform academically would likely need to ask the school directly for local assessment results, college entrance exam scores, or other indicators not captured in the state data.
Chronic absenteeism, a measure of how many students miss a substantial number of school days, sits above the midpoint among Teton County's districts. That means the rate is higher than some neighboring districts and lower than others, but it is not the lowest in the county. Per-pupil current spending falls in the middle range but toward the upper half, suggesting the district allocates resources at a level roughly comparable to peer districts in the county, though not at the top end.
The housing market for the area the district draws from shows home values that are lower than both the Montana state average and the national average, a pattern typical for a rural region with limited population. The weighted home value across the district’s zip codes—which include the towns of Choteau, Conrad, Dutton, and Augusta—has increased at a notable pace in the past year, reflecting broader trends in rural Montana. For context, the national home-value growth during the same period was modest, and Montana's state average also rose, but more slowly. The affordability picture, when set against a typical mortgage rate, points to monthly housing costs that would be manageable for many households with a median income, though the district lacks its own local median income figure.
We looked for recent district-level changes such as referendums, budget shifts, curriculum overhauls, or other parent-facing developments that would have a lasting impact on families. None were found for this small, single-high-school district. The district’s public profile is sparse, and a parent seeking specifics about class offerings, college and career pathways, or student support programs would need to consult the school’s website or contact the office directly.
For a family considering this area, Choteau H S offers a very small high school setting in a rural Montana community, with a student body that is not strongly diverse and a housing market that is more affordable than much of the rest of the state. The lack of test data and the limited public information mean that a family cannot readily compare academic performance to other schools from state reports alone. Chronic absenteeism is a metric worth asking the school about, but on its own it does not indicate a systemic crisis. The district spends per pupil in the upper-middle of its county peers, which suggests a decent level of funding relative to its size. Ultimately, this is a place where local knowledge and direct outreach will matter far more than any remote data point.
See more original research from School Decision →