The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 37%.
Original Research by School Decision on Belfry School
Belfry School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small, unincorporated agricultural community of Belfry, Montana. The school is part of the Belfry K-12 Schools district, which operates two adjoining buildings—this elementary school and a separate high school. With an enrollment that places it among the smallest schools in its grade band, Belfry School draws not only from Belfry itself but also from nearby communities including Bearcreek, Bridger, and even Clark, Wyoming. The total number of students is modest, and the grade-level counts reflect a very small cohort in each year, from kindergarten through sixth grade.
The student body is predominantly White, with a handful of children who identify as Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Economic data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is not available, nor is information on special education or English learner populations, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the range of support services and whether any targeted programs are in place. No information on staffing, class size, or discipline was reported, leaving several practical questions unanswered.
State assessment results are sparse, as is common when tested groups are very small. For math and science, results were suppressed to protect student privacy, a standard practice when fewer than a certain number of students take a test. For English language arts, a share of students scored at a proficient level on the Smarter Balanced assessment. When compared with other districts in Carbon County, Belfry School’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the group. That comparison is based on a limited number of districts in the county that reported data, and the small tested population at this school means results should be interpreted with caution.
The community of Belfry is a rural census-designated place with a history rooted in the railroad and agriculture. The railroad that created the town went bankrupt decades ago, and the population has declined since. Today the local economy centers on farming—sugar beets, alfalfa, feed corn—and cattle and sheep ranching. There is no walkable commercial core or public transit. The nearest commercial airport is in Billings, a considerable distance away. Housing values in Belfry’s zip code are above the national median but below the state median; the market shows modest year-over-year appreciation. For families considering a move, the area offers a very low-density rural setting with limited employment outside agriculture and the school district itself.
The district brief found no recent parent-relevant changes—no bond measures, boundary adjustments, or program overhauls were reported. What a family will find is a school that is small by any measure, set in a quiet, declining town, with academic achievement that is difficult to fully gauge because of the suppressed data. A parent looking at Belfry School would do well to visit, speak with the principal, and ask about how the school addresses core instruction and enrichment when resources and peer groups are very small. The school’s mascot is the bat, and the athletic teams share that identity with the high school, but for the elementary grades the experience is shaped by intimacy and rural isolation rather than by broad program offerings or competitive academic benchmarks.
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