The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Broadwater School
Broadwater School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Helena, Montana’s state capital. It is part of the Helena Elem district, a system that embeds its schools within the city rather than on remote campuses. The school sits in a residential neighborhood of a city whose economy is anchored by state government, education, and healthcare, with a stable but slow-growing trajectory. Helena’s downtown features a historic pedestrian mall along Last Chance Gulch, and the city is surrounded by national forest and outdoor recreation, giving it a character that is more outdoor-oriented than dense urban.
Broadwater is a mid-sized elementary school for its grade band. Its student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a notable level of economic diversity within the school.
State testing data is available for the school. In English language arts, roughly half of students met the proficiency benchmark on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower. In science, the share of students scoring proficient was also below the English language arts result. When compared to other districts in Lewis and Clark County, Broadwater’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the academic support and enrichment available.
Because Broadwater serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so that metric does not apply.
The school’s student body is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a modest number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is substantial, reflecting a degree of economic diversity that families may want to consider when thinking about the peer environment.
The housing market in the area reflects Helena’s character as a stable, slow-growing capital city. Home values and rents are above national medians, and the cost of buying a home relative to income is elevated, which is typical for a city that serves as a state government hub with limited new development. Rents are more aligned with local incomes. The city’s economy is anchored by state government, education, and healthcare, and its growth is steady rather than rapid.
No recent district-level changes of lasting impact were found in publicly available sources. The district brief turned up little, so this narrative does not speculate about any shifts in leadership, boundaries, or programming.
For a family considering Broadwater, the picture is one of a mid-sized elementary school in a stable capital city, with a student body that is economically diverse and predominantly white. Academic proficiency in English language arts is stronger than in math and science, and the school’s overall performance relative to other districts in the county sits in the bottom quartile. The school does not serve grades beyond fifth, so there is no graduation data to consider. The housing market in Helena is above national averages, reflecting the city’s role as a government and education hub with steady rather than rapid growth.
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