The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Roy High School
Roy High School sits at the center of the tiny unincorporated community of Roy on the high prairie of Fergus County, Montana. It is one of three schools in the Roy K-12 Schools district and serves grades nine through twelve. The community around it is sparse: a post office, a bar that functions as the informal gathering place, and a scattering of homes along the highway. The economy is built on ranching and farming across miles of open rangeland, and the school itself is one of the few institutional employers in the area.
The high school’s enrollment is very small. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small number of students who identify as two or more races. A large share of students come from households with low incomes, as indicated by free or reduced-price meal eligibility. This is a school where the entire high school population could fit into a single classroom in many larger schools.
State testing data for the most recent school year was not reported. The proficiency index for the school was listed at a level that placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Fergus County, but only two districts had reported data, so the comparison is limited. The reported proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all showed no students reaching the proficient level, but the tested student count was zero in each subject. This suggests that no students took the state assessments that year, which can happen in very small schools where cohort sizes fall below reporting thresholds. A parent interested in academic performance would want to ask the school directly about how student learning is measured and what recent results look like.
No graduation rate was available in the data. That is typical for schools with extremely small senior classes, where reporting individual rates could compromise student privacy. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access was absent from the data set. The school’s website may offer more detail on program offerings, extracurriculars, and daily operations.
The surrounding community of Roy has been in long-term population decline since its peak decades ago. The 2020 census recorded fewer than one hundred residents, and projections show only marginal change. Housing stock is limited, with a modest number of units, a notable share of them vacant. Home values in the area are well below state and national averages, making it an affordable place to live relative to much of Montana. The commute to the nearest sizable town, Lewistown, is a drive of about forty miles south on a paved highway. There is no public transit, and daily amenities are minimal.
The district that operates Roy High School was searched for recent changes such as referendums, curriculum updates, or property tax shifts, but none were publicly reported. The district is very small—serving roughly two dozen students across all grades—and major institutional changes are uncommon in settings this size.
Roy High School is best understood as a deeply rural, small-scale high school where the peer group is tiny and every student is known. Families considering this school should expect a setting where academic benchmarking against state standards may not be regularly available, and where the district’s resources and course variety are likely constrained by its size. For a family already living in this stretch of central Montana or one seeking an extremely close-knit school community, Roy High School represents the only public high school option for many miles. A parent would want to confirm directly with the school what the current academic program looks like and how the school supports students in this remote environment.
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