Original Research by School Decision on Pine Grove Elem
Pine Grove Elem is a single-school elementary district in Garfield County, Montana, serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. With a tiny enrollment—just a handful of students—it operates as one of the smallest public school districts in the state. Every student reported is White, and no data on economic disadvantage, special education, or English learner status is available, so it is unclear what student support needs the district addresses.
State assessment results for both math and English language arts are suppressed, meaning too few students took the tests to report a proficiency rate. This is common for a district this size and does not indicate poor performance—it simply means the state cannot produce a statistically reliable figure. Science assessment data is missing entirely. Because the district does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate. A parent looking for academic performance metrics will find none here; the only way to gauge student progress would be to speak directly with the school.
The one behavioral indicator available is chronic absenteeism. Among Garfield County’s districts, Pine Grove’s rate sits in the bottom quartile, meaning a relatively high share of students miss substantial school. With such a small student body, even a single student’s frequent absence can drive that percentage upward, so a parent may want to ask the school about attendance patterns and what supports are in place.
Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range, lower half of the county’s districts. The absolute figure appears high—above many rural Montana districts—but that is typical where a fixed cost base is spread over very few students. The district’s financial position appears stable; no recent property-tax shifts, curriculum changes, or referenda were publicly reported.
Pine Grove Elem is a choice for a family seeking an extremely small, rural school environment with no state test data to consult and limited publicly available information about its academic program. The district encompasses a single school building, so every enrolled student learns in the same setting. A parent considering this district should expect to rely on direct inquiry with the school and the local community for the picture that the data cannot provide.
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