The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Science. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Darby 7-8
Darby 7-8 is a small middle school serving seventh and eighth graders in the rural town of Darby, at the southern end of Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The school is part of the Darby K-12 Schools district, which also operates an elementary school and a high school. With an enrollment that is small for a middle school, the student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a very small number of American Indian or Alaska Native and Asian students. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a reflection of the community’s economic profile.
The school sits in a town that functions as a gateway to the Bitterroot National Forest, Painted Rocks State Park, and Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area. Darby’s economy blends tourism, recreation, agriculture, and local services, and the town maintains a western character with annual rodeos, dog sled races, bluegrass festivals, and a strawberry festival. Major local employers include the school district itself, Bitterroot Health, the USDA Forest Service, and tourism-related businesses. The nearest commercial airport and larger healthcare facilities are in Hamilton or Missoula, meaning many residents commute north for work and services. Housing values in the area are above the national median, and the town remains small and slow-growing, with no major new housing developments identified in available sources.
On state assessments, Darby 7-8’s proficiency rates fall below the midpoint among districts in Ravalli County. In math, roughly a quarter of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, about a third of students met that bar. Science results were higher, with a little over two-fifths of students scoring proficient or above. These figures place the school’s overall proficiency index below the midpoint of the county’s districts. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how the curriculum and instruction support student progress in the core subjects.
The school serves only seventh and eighth grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The district as a whole includes an elementary school and a high school, and the district’s strategic priorities were not detailed in available sources, so it is not possible to describe any recent district-level changes or initiatives.
The student body is small, and the school’s enrollment is split between the two grades. The student population is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic share and very small numbers of American Indian or Alaska Native and Asian students. The school does not report data on students with disabilities or English learners, so those figures are not available. The school is not a charter school, and its Title I status is not reported.
State testing data is available for math, English language arts, and science. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages the reported proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades, places it below the midpoint among districts in Ravalli County. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was lower than in English language arts, where about a third of students met the bar. Science results were stronger, with a little over two-fifths of students scoring proficient or above. These are the only academic performance measures available for the school, and a parent may want to ask the school about how it supports students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks.
The school serves only seventh and eighth grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, and staffing were not available. The school is not a charter school, and its Title I status is not reported.
For families considering Darby 7-8, the school offers a very small, rural setting where the entire student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The town itself is compact, with Main Street as its commercial corridor, and the school is integrated into the town’s footprint rather than separated from it. Outdoor recreation is a major draw, with the Bitterroot National Forest, Lake Como, and Painted Rocks State Park nearby. The nearest commercial airport and larger healthcare facilities are in Hamilton or Missoula, a drive north. The school’s academic proficiency rates are below the county midpoint, and a parent may want to discuss with the school how it addresses those results and what supports are in place for students.
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