The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Math. The lowest is 43% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Saco School
Saco School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a very small agricultural town on Montana’s Hi-Line. The town itself is compact, car-dependent, and has a population that has declined over recent decades. Housing is inexpensive relative to state and national benchmarks, and typical commute times suggest many working residents travel to nearby Malta or beyond for employment. The school’s district, Saco Elem, covers the elementary grades only; older students attend a separate district for grades seven through twelve. No recent district-level changes of note were found in publicly available sources, which is consistent with a very small rural system where operations tend to be stable.
The student body is small and predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the area’s economic profile. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records, so a parent with specific questions about special education or language support would want to follow up directly with the school.
On state assessments, Saco School’s results are a mixed picture. In math, a solid majority of students scored at or above the proficient level, which placed the school’s overall proficiency index in the top quartile relative to other districts in Phillips County. In English language arts, fewer than half of students reached proficiency, a gap that a family may want to discuss with the school to understand what supports are in place. Science results were suppressed because very few students took the test, so no conclusion can be drawn there. Because the school serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to consider.
The school itself is the primary civic anchor for elementary-aged children in Saco. With total enrollment small enough that every grade has only a handful of students, class sizes are very small and children likely receive a great deal of individual attention. The town’s other anchors include a library branch and a local museum housed in a historic school building. Nearby outdoor recreation options include a reservoir and a wildlife refuge, though services like grocery stores and healthcare require a drive west to Malta.
For a family considering Saco School, the key takeaway is that this is a very small, rural elementary school serving a community that is economically modest and geographically isolated. Academic performance is uneven, with math a relative strength and reading an area where the school appears to have room to grow. The small size means children are known individually, but the school’s capacity for specialized programming is likely limited by its scale. Families who value a tight-knit, low-cost rural setting and are comfortable with a long drive for most amenities may find this a good fit. Those seeking broader academic or extracurricular options, or a growing community, would want to look elsewhere.
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