The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hot Springs School
Hot Springs School serves grades PK through six in the very small town of Hot Springs, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Sanders County. It is the elementary school for the Hot Springs K-12 district, and its enrollment is small. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable share of Native American students and a smaller group identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic context of this off-the-beaten-path community.
State testing data was not available for math and English language arts; the state reported that no students in the tested grade span participated in those assessments. For science, a handful of students took the state assessment, but results were suppressed to protect student privacy. Overall, the school’s academic performance picture is largely absent from the data. On the limited comparison that can be made — the proficiency index across tested subjects and grades — the school falls in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Sanders County, though only two districts in the county had enough data to be included. Because the school serves only early and middle grades, there is no graduation rate.
Hot Springs itself is a town that has seen its population decline significantly from a historical peak decades ago, then recover slightly. The town is extremely compact, and the school is embedded within the small downtown area rather than on a separate campus. Everyday life here is quiet and tourism-oriented; visitors come for the mineral hot springs, the historic Symes Hotel, and vintage spa motels. Infrastructure is limited — until recently the town had only a single cell phone tower, and Wi‑Fi was available only in selected locations, though cell coverage has since expanded. Major local employers are the school district itself, the tourism businesses, and the Hot Springs Telephone Company. There are no large-scale employers or industrial sites. The public library and a small local museum serve as civic anchors.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a very small, rural elementary school in a community with a weathered character and modest economic base. The student body is economically diverse by local measures, and the school’s academic results are not well captured by state assessments — a parent may want to ask the school directly about its own measures of student progress and curriculum. The district operates three schools within the same tiny town, so students who continue past sixth grade will move into the district’s upper grades within walking distance. No recent district changes or strategic priorities were publicly reported. The housing market in Hot Springs is relatively affordable compared to the state and national benchmarks, though the area’s isolation means that longer drives to larger towns like Plains or Missoula are part of daily life for some needs.
This school fits a family looking for a small, rural elementary setting in a close‑knit, low‑key community oriented around natural amenities and heritage tourism. The absence of state testing data means that academic comparisons with other schools are not possible from the available information, so families who prioritize clear, externally benchmarked academic measures will need to investigate further with the school itself. For those whose priority is a small, community‑embedded school in a quiet reservation town with access to hot springs and outdoor recreation, Hot Springs School offers that context directly.
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