The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hellgate El Intermediate
Hellgate El Intermediate sits within the Hellgate Elementary district on the outskirts of Missoula. The school serves only grades four, five, and six, a narrow band that acts as a bridge between a student’s primary years and middle school. With an enrollment that is sizable for an intermediate building, the student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are two or more races, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Black. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Missoula itself is a mid-sized city shaped by the University of Montana, two major hospitals, and the county school system. The downtown runs along the Clark Fork River and has a well-known restaurant and music scene, while the university campus is immediately adjacent and anchors much of the city’s pedestrian life. The community has moved on from its lumber-era past and is now centered on education, healthcare, and government services. Housing values in the area are elevated compared to the national median, and rents are similarly high, reflecting steady population growth and demand. The Hellgate Elementary district did not have any recent parent-relevant changes reported from available sources, so the picture is one of continuity rather than upheaval.
On state testing, the data available offers a partial view. For math and English language arts, the reported proficiency rate is zero percent, but it is important to note that when a rate comes in at zero and the number of students included in that metric is very small relative to the school’s overall enrollment, the result may be tied to incomplete reporting for this particular testing window. The available figures do not provide a clear explanation, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what happened with those assessments. For science, just half of tested students scored at the proficient or above level. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency index across tested subjects places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Missoula County. That comparison set is the one available and it shows substantial room for improvement in academic results compared to nearby peers.
Because the school serves only grades four through six, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available. These gaps are typical for a school that does not extend through high school and may not track those metrics in the same way a full K-12 building would.
The school environment data is thin. The profile does not include information on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access, and charter and magnet status are not a factor here. The school is not a charter, and no Title I status is listed. For families weighing this school, the central facts are the intermediate-only grade structure, the concentrated and predominantly white student body, the elevated housing costs of the Missoula area, and a set of test results that raise questions a prospective parent will want to investigate directly at the school level.
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