The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Polson High School
Polson High School serves ninth through twelfth grade as the only high school in the Polson High School District. It sits in the town of Polson, a small lakeside community on the southern shore of Flathead Lake that acts as the county seat of Lake County. The town is a trading center for a fertile agricultural and cherry-growing region, with a noticeable summer tourism bump. Major employers include healthcare providers, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the school district itself. The school’s enrollment is moderate for a high school of its grade band. Around two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial American Indian or Alaska Native population, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not reported.
State testing results for the 2023-24 school year show a proficiency rate reported as zero percent across math, English language arts, and science. The comparison data places the school’s overall proficiency index in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Lake County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what the testing context is, particularly whether the reported zero reflects a data anomaly or a genuine performance picture. No multi-year trend data was available to show whether this is a recent change or a consistent pattern.
Because the school serves only high school grades, and the state testing data provided covers grades three through eight, those test results do not apply to Polson High School’s own students. The district-level comparison showing a bottom-quartile proficiency index therefore draws on a different set of tested grades than what the high school itself administers. No graduation rate was reported in the available data.
Publicly reported sources indicate the school offers dual enrollment courses in Mathematics and Social Studies, as well as a new Healthcare Internship program. AP course participation is also noted in those sources, though specific program counts are not in the data provided. The school district is a single-school district, meaning all high-school-age students in the area attend this one campus.
Housing values in the Polson zip code are above the state median, and the local housing market shows a modest year-over-year decline in value. The typical mortgage payment in the area is higher than the typical rent, which is common in many markets. The economic context shows a national unemployment rate around four percent and a national median household income near eighty-four thousand dollars, but local income data for Polson specifically was not in the data.
Polson has seen modest population growth in recent years, with no specific large-scale housing developments mentioned in available sources. Civic anchors include city parks along Flathead Lake, a public golf course, a public library, and a public-use airport. No formal public transit system was mentioned.
For a family considering this school, the core facts are a moderate-sized high school in a small lakefront town that serves as the county’s economic center, with dual enrollment and internship offerings, a student body that includes a significant Native American presence, and a testing picture that is incomplete in the data and warrants direct inquiry with the school.
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