Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson School
Jefferson School in Glendive, Montana, serves children from preschool through second grade. It is one of the primary schools in the Glendive Elem district, which handles elementary education for this small agricultural and ranching hub in eastern Montana. Because the school covers only the earliest grades, state testing data is not available—those assessments begin in later elementary years—so there are no academic performance results to report. A parent looking for early literacy or math benchmarks would want to ask the school directly about its own screening tools and progress monitoring.
The student body is made up of about one modest-sized group for this grade band. The enrollment is predominantly white, with a noticeable presence of American Indian or Alaska Native students and Hispanic students, reflecting the broader demographics of the region. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which gives a sense of the economic context families are navigating. No data was reported on students with individualized education programs or English learners, so that dimension of support is not visible from the available records.
The school itself sits at 800 Jefferson School Road, within Glendive’s compact footprint. Glendive is a town that grew up around the railroad, with a downtown core along Merrill Avenue and a historic pedestrian bridge over the Yellowstone River linking to West Glendive. The community has seen a modest population decline in recent years, and a 2023 fire destroyed two downtown landmarks, underscoring the economic headwinds the area faces. Housing values are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and the local economy is anchored by BNSF Railway, county government, Dawson Community College, and healthcare. Walkability is typical of a rural town—fine near the center but limited elsewhere.
The Glendive Elem district, which oversees Jefferson and other elementary schools, had no parent-relevant changes found in public reporting in recent years. No new levies, bond measures, curriculum shifts, or program expansions were identified. That may reflect a period of stability, or simply that the district does not generate much public documentation outside its basic directory profile.
Given the early grade span, Jefferson School’s role is foundational: it is where children begin their formal schooling in Glendive. There are no high school measures to report, no career or dual-credit pathways, and no specialized program offerings listed. What the data shows is a school with a majority-white enrollment that serves a community with a moderate share of economic need, set in a town with a slowly shrinking population and a traditional eastern Montana economy. A parent choosing Jefferson would be enrolling a child in the earliest years of a single-district K-12 system, with all subsequent schooling—through Dawson County High School—in the same district. The absence of test data is not a weakness here; it is simply a function of the grade band.
See more original research from School Decision →