The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in Science. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln School
Lincoln School, a single-building elementary school in Miles City, Montana, serves grades three through five. Operated by the Miles City Elementary District, it is a public school with a modest enrollment that is typical for a small city in southeastern Montana. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report, and no state testing in earlier grades exists for this building because testing begins in third grade.
Academic performance on the 2023-24 Montana state assessments shows a mixed picture. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits, a figure that a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand what support is in place. English language arts proficiency was around a quarter of students, while science proficiency, assessed only at grade four, was above a third. These results place the school below many of the state’s averages, but with only a single school in its comparable cohort within Custer County, there is no local district benchmark for context. The data did not include participation rates, so it is unclear how many students took the tests, although the tested counts are consistent with the overall enrollment.
The student body is predominantly White, with a small share of American Indian or Alaska Native students and very small numbers of other racial or ethnic groups. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate-to-high level of economic need. The school reported enrollment of a size that is modest for a three-grade elementary; it is a single school among several in the district serving different grade bands. No data was available for students with disabilities or English learners.
Miles City, where the school is located, functions as the regional commercial, medical, and agricultural hub for southeastern Montana. The town has a compact footprint, with a walkable historic downtown along Main Street that contrasts with an auto-oriented commercial strip on South Haynes Avenue. The cattle industry remains central to the local identity, and the economy relies on healthcare, agriculture, government offices, and banking. Housing values in the area are meaningfully below both the state and national medians, and the population has been essentially flat for over a decade. This stability means the school’s enrollment is unlikely to see dramatic shifts from new housing development.
A recent event at the district level is relevant for families: in May 2024, a bond issue that would have funded capital improvements across all five district schools—including HVAC replacements, roof repairs, and security upgrades—failed by a narrow margin. The district identified a substantial dollar amount in immediate capital needs and is planning to bring a smaller bond proposal to voters in the near future. The failure means that urgent repairs must be addressed through existing budgets, and a future bond could affect property taxes.
Several areas of information were not available in the data. The school’s staffing ratios, discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and course access offerings were all missing. Given that Lincoln School serves only upper elementary grades, it does not offer high school-level programs such as Advanced Placement or career-technical pathways. The school’s website was not provided, so parents seeking additional detail on curricula or school culture may need to contact the school directly. There was no information on Title I status, magnet or charter status, or after-school programs. A family considering this school will want to supplement this profile with a visit and conversation with school staff.
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