The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Anaconda Jr High School
Anaconda Jr High School serves seventh and eighth graders in the Anaconda Elem district, a small public school system in the historic copper-smelting town of Anaconda, Montana. The school is located on Main Street, a short distance from the downtown core that includes the Washoe Theater and the Hearst Free Library, and the surrounding area is a mix of residential streets and mountain views. The town itself has transitioned from its industrial past into a gateway for outdoor recreation, with a stable but small population and a growing tourism sector.
The school enrolls a modest number of students across two grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and a very small number of students who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native or as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the economic context families are navigating. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
State testing results for the 2023-24 school year present a mixed picture. In science, about one in five students scored at the proficient level or above on the Montana Science Assessment. That figure gives a parent a starting point for asking the school about its science curriculum and support. For math and English language arts, the reported proficiency rate was zero percent, but the tested count was also zero, meaning no students in these grades took the Smarter Balanced Assessment in those subjects that year. The reason for this gap is not stated in the data, but it is not uncommon for a junior high school to have a year where a particular assessment is not administered to its grade band, or for participation to be affected by local circumstances. A parent should confirm with the school which state assessments are given to seventh and eighth graders and what the most recent results actually show.
The school serves only two grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. That is a function of the grade span, not a missing metric. Similarly, the comparison tool that places schools against others in Deer Lodge County could not generate a proficiency index because the cohort of comparable schools was too small to produce a meaningful comparison. The county has only a handful of districts, and this school is the only one serving this particular grade band, so there is no direct peer set for side-by-side academic comparison.
Anaconda itself is a small, historic city that has remade itself since the closure of the copper smelter. The downtown has a walkable core with the Washoe Theater and the Hearst Free Library, but the broader county area is car-dependent. The local economy now rests on the hospital, local government, and a growing tourism and recreation sector that draws visitors to the surrounding national forest, state parks, and Georgetown Lake. Housing values in the area are below the state median, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a typical home is lower than the state benchmark, which may matter for families considering a move. The district itself did not have any recent major changes publicly reported, so the school's programming and leadership appear to have been stable in the near term.
For a family considering Anaconda Jr High School, the picture is one of a small, two-grade school in a town that has reinvented itself around outdoor recreation and a quieter pace of life. The academic data is thin enough that a parent will want to talk directly with the school about current instruction, curriculum, and how the school supports students who are not yet at grade level. The school's size means students are likely to be well known to staff, and the community context is one of a close-knit town with a working-class history and a growing focus on the surrounding mountains and lakes.
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