The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Redwater School
Redwater School is a very small public school in Circle, Montana, serving only fourth through sixth grade. It is part of the Circle Elementary district. Because it covers just three upper-elementary grade levels, it does not have a graduation rate, nor does it offer the kinds of advanced or career coursework one would look for in a high school. Its role is a focused one: the middle years of elementary school before students move on to the district’s junior high or high school.
State testing data for reading and mathematics was not available for the school. The state reported results for science, however, and on that assessment roughly half of the students who took it scored at the proficient level or above. The number of students tested was small, which is consistent with the school’s overall enrollment. A parent looking for a clear picture of academic performance in math and reading will find that gap notable; it may be worth asking the school or district directly about how they track student progress in those subjects and what local assessments they use.
The school’s enrollment is small and predominantly white, with a small share of students identifying as two or more races. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a substantial number of families in the area have lower household incomes. No data was reported on students with disabilities or English learners.
Circle is the county seat of McCone County, a rural agricultural community on the Montana plains. The town’s economy is rooted in ranching, farming, and local services like healthcare and the school system itself. The population has been declining slowly for years, and no major new housing developments or growth initiatives are evident from publicly available sources. Housing values in the area are well below both the state and national averages, which may make it an accessible market for families who work locally or remotely.
The school is located within the compact footprint of town, integrated into the community rather than set apart. The town has a library, a county museum, a fairgrounds with a rodeo, and a weekly newspaper. Residents travel state highways to reach larger towns; regional services are at some distance.
There are no recent district-level changes reported—no boundary shifts, program overhauls, or leadership transitions that would alter a family’s day-to-day experience. The district appears stable in its operations.
Because the school is very small and sits in a county with few comparable districts, the data does not support a meaningful side-by-side comparison with neighboring schools. The most useful context is the school itself: a small, rural upper-elementary school in a community with a slowly declining population, serving a student body where many families rely on the lunch program, and where state testing results are mostly absent for reading and math. Families considering this school should expect to engage directly with the staff to understand how academic achievement is measured and supported at the classroom level.
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