The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 49% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ennis 7-8
Ennis 7-8 is the middle school within the Ennis K-12 Schools district, serving only seventh and eighth graders in a small, tight-knit community in southwestern Montana. The school sits in the town of Ennis, a place shaped by two distinct economies: a long-standing ranching tradition with cattle and sheep operations in the Madison River valley, and a significant tourism and fly-fishing industry that brings anglers from across the country. The town has seen population growth in recent decades, and the district completed a major building project in 2022, opening a new consolidated K-12 facility that houses all grades on a renovated campus. That capital project directly shapes the daily environment for middle school students, who learn in a relatively new or upgraded space.
The school itself is small. Its student body is overwhelmingly white, with a modest share of students who identify as two or more races and very small numbers from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, though it is not a majority. Enrollment is roughly balanced between the seventh and eighth grades.
On state assessments, the school shows a clear strength in English language arts, where a strong majority of students scored at or above proficiency on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Math proficiency was lower, with roughly half of students meeting the bar. Science proficiency, measured by the Montana Science Assessment, came in at a similar level to math. When compared to other districts in Madison County, Ennis 7-8's overall proficiency across tested subjects sits above the midpoint. A parent looking at the gap between English and math performance may want to ask the school about its approach to math instruction and support.
The school serves only the two middle grades, so there is no graduation rate to report and no data on high school outcomes such as college-going or career pathways. The district as a whole covers kindergarten through twelfth grade, so a family considering Ennis 7-8 would also be looking at the high school that follows. The district's new consolidated campus means all grades are in one physical location, which can simplify transitions for students but also means that middle schoolers share a campus with younger and older students.
Ennis itself is a compact, walkable town where Main Street serves as the commercial corridor with dining, lodging, and fly shops. The Madison River runs along the eastern edge of town and is a central recreational anchor. The nearest commercial airport is roughly an hour's drive. Housing values in the area are elevated relative to national benchmarks, reflecting the desirability of the region for tourism and second-home ownership. A family moving to Ennis should expect a limited housing supply and higher costs than many other parts of Montana or the country.
The school does not have public data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios, so those areas are not possible to assess here. For a parent, the central takeaway is a small middle school in a growing but still rural town, with strong English language arts performance, more modest math and science results, and a recently upgraded physical plant that is part of a district-wide consolidation. The peer environment is small and relatively homogeneous. The academic pathway is straightforward: two years in this building before moving to the high school on the same campus.
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