The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Malta 6-7-8
Malta 6-7-8 is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in the small rural town of Malta, Montana. It is part of the Malta K-12 Schools district, which covers the entire community. The school’s enrollment is small for a middle-school grade band, and the student body is predominantly white, with a notable Native American population and a small Hispanic share. More than half of students come from families with low enough incomes to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that points to a high-poverty context.
Academically, the picture is mixed. On the state’s Smarter Balanced assessments, a little under half of students scored proficient or above in English language arts, a result that gives the school a relatively stronger showing in reading. Math proficiency is decidedly lower, with fewer than one in four students reaching the proficient mark. Science results for this school were suppressed, likely because the tested group was too small to report publicly, so there is no clear read on performance in that subject. Overall, when math and ELA are considered together, the school’s proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the small number of districts in Phillips County, meaning it performs better than some nearby peers but not at the top.
Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to consider. Data on chronic absenteeism and other attendance measures were not available, and no information on advanced courses, career pathways, or special programs was provided. A parent interested in what enrichment or intervention opportunities exist at the school would need to ask directly.
Malta itself is a compact, car-dependent town on Montana’s High Plains, the county seat of Phillips County. It grew up as a railroad siding and still sees daily Amtrak service. The town has several civic anchors—a Carnegie library, dinosaur museums, a wildlife refuge—but the surrounding economy is agricultural and the population has been declining over time. Housing values in the Malta area are well below the state average and the national median, making it a relatively affordable place to live. No recent major changes or developments were identified in the school district, and the community appears stable in its small-town character.
For a family, Malta 6-7-8 offers a middle school in a rural setting with a tight-knit feel, where English language arts outcomes are near the middle of the road for the county but math achievement is a weaker point worth investigating. The high proportion of students in poverty means the school likely has significant federal supports, though Title I status was not reported here. The student body is not racially diverse in a broad sense, but there is a visible Native American presence. The surrounding town is quiet and affordable, though it faces population loss and limited economic growth. This school fits a family that values a small rural school within a district that covers the whole community, understands that academic results are uneven, and wants to be in a low-cost area with a slow pace of life.
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