The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fairhaven Colony
Fairhaven Colony is a small public school in Cascade County, Montana, serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the Ulm Elementary School District and is located several miles southwest of the unincorporated community of Ulm. The setting is rural, with an economy historically tied to ranching and farming. Housing values in the broader area sit above the national average, reflecting wider market trends in the region, and a typical mortgage payment would exceed the typical rent, which is a pattern families moving to the area may want to weigh against their own budget.
The school itself is very small, with an enrollment in the low dozens. Nearly all students are white, with a very small Hispanic population. In a school this size, grade-level classes are extremely small, and the building likely functions as a close-knit community where staff know every family. The grade span from pre-K through eighth grade means students spend many years in the same setting before transitioning to a high school outside the district.
State testing data is limited. For math and English language arts in the tested grades, the proficiency rate reported was zero percent, but no students were tested in those subjects that year. Given the tiny enrollment, this absence of test-takers is common in very small schools and does not necessarily reflect academic weakness or strength; it simply means there is no standardized snapshot to evaluate. In science, a small number of students were tested, but the state suppressed the proficiency results, a standard practice when the tested group is too small to report publicly without risking student identification. A parent looking for test-based evidence of academic performance will find very little here, and should talk directly with the school to understand how student progress is measured day to day.
Civil rights data, such as discipline rates or special education identification, was not available. Free and reduced-price meal data was also not reported, so the share of students from lower-income households is unclear. The district brief turned up no recent referendums, curriculum changes, or other parent-relevant developments, which is typical for a small, stable rural district where operations tend to be consistent year to year.
When placed alongside other districts in Cascade County, Fairhaven Colony’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. That comparison, however, is based on extremely limited testing data, and the school’s small size and the lack of test-takers in core subjects mean the index may not be a reliable reflection of instruction. The school serves a population that does not produce enough test data for a typical comparative read.
For a family, this is a school that fits a specific context. If you value a very small, rural setting where your child will be in a multi-age environment with deep community ties, Fairhaven Colony offers that directly. If you want to evaluate academic performance through state test scores, or if you need a school with broad program offerings, this is not the place that data is available. The best next step for a parent considering this school would be to visit, meet the teachers, and ask how the school tracks literacy and math progress from year to year in the absence of formal assessment data.
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