The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 45% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lustre School
Lustre School sits in Frazer, a tiny unincorporated community within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, with no high school program. It is the only school in the Lustre Elem district, a very small rural system. The total enrollment is small for a PK-8 school, and about half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Black students and a small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students.
State testing results are available for the school’s tested grades. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was above the midpoint among the districts in Valley County. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was similar, also placing the school above the county midpoint in the overall proficiency measure that combines all tested subjects and grades. In science, the proficiency rate was lower. These are the only academic performance measures reported for this school, and no data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, or course access was available. No graduation rate is reported because the school does not serve high school grades.
Frazer is a small census-designated place with a primarily Native American population and a very young median age. The area has experienced population decline in recent years. Housing data, walkability scores, and major employer information were not available in the research. The school sits within the community, not on a separated campus, and functions as one of the town’s key civic institutions alongside a post office and the annual Red Bottom Celebration powwow grounds. Residents rely on U.S. Highway 2 for travel; the nearest Amtrak station is a significant distance away in Wolf Point.
No recent district changes of note were found in the research. The district operates a single PK-8 building and appears to have maintained a stable model.
This is a very small rural school in a community with a high poverty rate and a declining population. Parents considering Lustre School are looking at an elementary and middle school where state test results in math and reading sit above the midpoint among the county’s few reporting districts, with a notably lower science proficiency rate. The small enrollment means students attend class in a tight-knit setting, though the limited data on special education services, English learner supports, and other program offerings makes it hard to assess full support structures from publicly available information. For families living in or near Frazer, this is the local school for children through eighth grade; high school options would need to be explored elsewhere, as the school does not serve those grades.
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