The top reported proficiency rate is 100% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pass Creek School
Pass Creek School is a single-building public school in rural Gallatin County serving students from preschool through eighth grade. It is the sole school of the Pass Creek Elem district, a very small rural system. The school sits on Pass Creek Road, outside the Belgrade town limits, and its identity is tied to the surrounding agricultural and exurban landscape rather than to the town center. The district has not recently pursued any referendums, curriculum overhauls, or major facilities projects; publicly reported changes are minimal, which is consistent with a small operation focused on day-to-day stability.
The school is tiny. Enrollment is very low for a PK-8 building, with students spread across all grades, some years having just one or two children in a grade. Every student reported is white, which makes the school racially homogeneous. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is not available, and no information on students with disabilities or English learners was reported. A family considering this school should understand that their child will be learning in a peer group of that size and composition.
Academic results, based on the latest state testing, show all seven students who took the math and English language arts assessments scored at the proficient or advanced level. In both subjects, every tested student met the Smarter Balanced threshold for proficiency. That yields a perfect proficiency rate within a very small tested cohort. Science results were suppressed because the tested group numbered only two, so no reliable rate is available there. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Gallatin County, a group of roughly two dozen districts. It is important to weigh that high ranking against the very small number of students the measure is based on; a single student’s performance shifts the result dramatically.
Because the school serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no high school course offerings such as AP, dual-credit, or career pathways. The academic program is a general elementary and middle school curriculum. The school does not exist in a comparison universe for high school metrics, so a parent looking toward high school would need to consider where students go after eighth grade, a question the available data does not answer.
Belgrade, the nearest incorporated town, is a rapidly growing community with a mix of residential subdivisions, a historic Main Street, and corporate offices for companies including CACI International, Xtant Medical, and Under Canvas Group. Many residents commute the short distance to Bozeman for work. The housing market in the area is expensive relative to national medians; home values and rents are high, and the market shows signs of cooling, with fewer active and new listings compared to a year ago. The school itself is rural and removed from that growth corridor, so families living closer to town may face a drive. No walkability data is available for the school’s location, and given its rural setting, a car is essential.
Discipline, staffing ratios, attendance, and student-to-counselor data were all missing from the available records. The school does not appear to report chronic absenteeism, and no civil rights data was provided. A parent may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, special education supports, and what happens when a child needs extra help, since the public data does not speak to those questions.
Pass Creek School is a strong fit for a family seeking a very small, rural, and academically solid elementary and middle school experience where the child will be known individually. It is not a fit for families who want a diverse peer group, a wide range of programs, or a high school on site. The academic results are excellent on paper but come from a sample so small that they offer limited predictive information. The lack of data on student support, discipline, and staffing means a family needs to visit and ask direct questions to understand the full picture.
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