The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Crow Agency School
Crow Agency School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the community that functions as the governmental headquarters of the Crow Nation. The school sits within the Hardin Elem district, and the town of Crow Agency itself is a census-designated place on the Crow Indian Reservation, a largely auto-dependent rural setting where civic life centers on tribal government, the Bureau of Indian Affairs agency offices, Little Big Horn College, and the annual Crow Fair. For high school, students in the area attend Hardin High School in the nearby town of Hardin.
Enrollment at the school is small for an elementary building, and the student body is almost entirely American Indian. Every student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting very high levels of economic need in the community. The school does not appear to have a magnet or charter designation, and its Title I status was not reported in the available data.
State assessment results for the 2023-24 school year are limited. In math and English language arts, the state data shows that no students in grades three through five scored at the proficient level, though it is unclear whether any students in those grades actually took the tests for those subjects. In science, about one in six students reached proficiency, a low rate that places the school in a challenging position academically. The school’s overall proficiency index, which combines all tested subjects, sits above the midpoint among the handful of Big Horn County districts that reported comparable data. That relative position should be read with caution: only two elementary-level entities in the county had usable proficiency numbers, and the absolute performance levels are very low.
A parent or resident reviewing this school should note the absence of several common data points. There is no reported information on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or course access. Because the school ends at fifth grade, there is no graduation rate. The district itself shows no recent publicly reported changes or strategic initiatives. A family considering this school may want to ask the school or district directly about classroom instruction, support services, and how the school addresses the academic challenges visible in the assessment data.
The peer environment is shaped by the school’s location and demographics. Nearly all students share a cultural and community identity rooted in the Crow Nation. Poverty is universal, and the school likely serves as a central institution in a tight-knit reservation community. The housing market in Crow Agency is not described in detail, but the area is rural and the economy is driven by tribal and federal employment rather than commercial development.
For families who live within the attendance area, Crow Agency School offers an elementary education in a setting where the child’s background is the norm rather than the exception. The academic pathway beyond fifth grade means moving to Hardin, which is a separate school system. The school’s test results suggest that a family should engage directly with teachers and administrators to understand how the school is working to improve outcomes and what additional supports might be available. This is a school that fits a family looking for a neighborhood elementary deeply connected to its tribal community, while recognizing that academic performance is an area of clear concern that warrants close attention.
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