The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Whittier School
Whittier School serves students from prekindergarten through grade six in Butte, Montana, as part of the Butte Elem district. The school is located in a city defined by its copper mining history, where residential neighborhoods sit alongside active mining operations and the massive Berkeley Pit, a former open-pit mine that is now part of the nation’s largest Superfund site. Butte is a consolidated city-county with a working-class, industrial character, and the Uptown Historic District, one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the country, gives the downtown a dense, period feel. Montana Technological University, a public engineering and technical university, adds an academic presence to the community.
The school’s enrollment is sizable for an elementary and middle-grade building, drawing from the surrounding area. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, two or more races, Black, and Asian students. Just under half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of household economic need, indicating a mix of economic backgrounds in the student population.
State testing results for the most recent school year present a mixed picture. Proficiency rates in math and English language arts were not reported for tested grades, which may be a data reporting situation rather than a reflection of student performance. A parent may want to ask the school or district for current results in those subjects. In science, which is also tested at these grade levels, about a quarter of students scored proficient or above. That rate places the school’s overall academic proficiency, across the subjects where data was available, in the bottom quartile compared to other districts in Silver Bow County, meaning that among the handful of districts in the county, this school’s performance was on the lower end. These proficiency figures reflect a single year of testing; trends over multiple years were not available.
The school offers no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios, so it is not possible to assess student attendance patterns or student-teacher contact from this information. No data was available on whether the school offers specific enrichment programs like music, art, or gifted services, nor on course access beyond the core academic subjects. The school is not a charter school, and its magnet status and Title I status were not reported.
Housing in the area around the school is moderately priced relative to national and state trends. Home values are below the statewide median, and rents are also below the national average for similar properties. The typical monthly mortgage payment and rent are both manageable against median household income at the national level, which suggests that families looking to move into the school’s attendance area would find housing costs that are not exceptionally high compared to what they might encounter elsewhere in Montana or the country. The local economy is anchored by mining through Montana Resources, the consolidated city-county government, St. James Healthcare, and the university.
No recent changes at the district level that would directly affect families were identified in publicly available sources. The district brief turned up no new boundaries, program launches, policy shifts, or leadership changes reported in the last several years that cleared the threshold of lasting parent relevance. That may simply mean nothing has changed recently, or that developments were not captured in the search. A parent considering Whittier School may want to check directly with the Butte Elem district office for any current initiatives or shifts.
In summary, Whittier School is a fairly large elementary and middle school in a historic, industrial Montana city with a mining spine. The student body is economically mixed and not highly diverse. Academic performance on state tests, where reported, is on the lower side among local districts, particularly in science. Housing in the area is reasonably affordable by state and national standards. Families looking into this school should seek current math and reading scores directly from the district, and ask about programs and supports that are not visible in this data.
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