The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Radley Elementary School
Radley Elementary School serves students in third through fifth grade in the East Helena K-12 district. It is a conventional public school, neither a charter nor a magnet, and sits in a town that has reshaped itself since the closure of the ASARCO lead smelter that once defined its economy and social fabric. East Helena has transitioned into a fast-growing bedroom community for the state capital roughly five miles west, where many residents commute for government, healthcare, and education jobs. The redevelopment of former smelter lands has fueled residential subdivisions, new commercial development, and the construction of two new public schools, including the high school that opened in recent years and held its first graduating class in 2023. That milestone completed the district’s shift from a K-8 system to a full K-12 pathway, meaning families no longer send their high schoolers to Helena schools. Radley sits among five district campuses spread across town rather than clustered in a downtown; the school feeds into East Valley Middle School.
Academically, the picture is incomplete. State testing results in math and reading are absent from the available data—no students were recorded as tested in those subjects for the 2023-24 school year, a gap that is unusual for a grades 3-5 building and one a parent may want to raise directly with the school. Science testing was administered, and the share of students scoring proficient or above was around the midpoint. Compared to other schools across districts in Lewis and Clark County, Radley’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile, though that measure is based on only the single subject with reported results and may not capture the full academic picture. The school has no graduation rate to report because it does not serve high school grades.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, American Indian, or of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic mix of a town that retains a gritty industrial heritage alongside new subdivisions.
The surrounding housing market reflects the area’s growth. Typical home values have risen substantially in recent years, outpacing national averages but remaining below the statewide Montana benchmark. The town’s population has been climbing rapidly, and the redevelopment of former smelter lands continues to add residential lots, a trail and conservation area, and commercial space.
For a family considering Radley, the key context is that this is an upper-elementary school in a district that now offers a complete K-12 path within town, eliminating a prior commute to Helena for high school. The school’s academic record has notable gaps that would benefit from direct inquiry. The community itself is one of pronounced change: a historically blue-collar place becoming a suburban destination, with new housing, public amenities like the recently opened Prickly Pear Park, and ongoing Superfund cleanup that shapes land use. The school’s size is moderate for its grade band, and its location within a growing district means families can expect continued evolution in facilities and programming.
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