The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on C R Anderson Middle Schl
C R Anderson Middle School is one of the primary public middle schools in Helena, Montana, serving grades six through eight as part of the Helena Elem district. Its enrollment is substantial for a middle school, and it sits within the city of Helena, the state capital, a community with a stable economy anchored by state government, education, and healthcare. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and Title I status was not reported.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller representations of Hispanic, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About one-fifth of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate share that suggests a mix of household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support programs.
Academically, C R Anderson participates in Montana’s statewide assessments. In math, less than half of students met the proficiency standard. In English language arts, roughly half of students scored proficient or above. In science, the share meeting the standard was higher, though that test covers a narrower grade range. These results place the school above the midpoint among middle schools in Lewis and Clark County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects. That means families comparing local options will find that C R Anderson’s academic performance is somewhat stronger than the median school in the county.
As a middle school, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data to report.
Helena itself is Montana’s capital, founded as a gold camp at Last Chance Gulch, and retains elaborate Victorian architecture from that era. The downtown includes a historic pedestrian mall, and Mount Helena City Park and national forest land border the city, giving it an outdoor-oriented character. The economy is stable but slow-growing, with state government, education, and healthcare as major employers. Most residents commute by car, and the city’s setting in a valley offers ample nearby recreation. Housing values in the general area are moderate for the state. No major recent changes were publicly reported for the Helena Elem district.
For a family considering this school, the picture is of a large, traditional middle school in a government-and-outdoor-oriented capital city. The student population is not highly diverse ethnically, and economic diversity is present but not extreme. Academically, the school holds its own relative to local peers, with English language arts and science performance stronger than math. The absence of special population data is a gap a prospective parent would want to fill by speaking with the school. The surrounding community offers stability and outdoor access rather than rapid growth or urban density.
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