Pondera Colony School

Summary:

Pondera Colony School is a small elementary school in Valier, Montana, serving grades PK-8 with just 27 students. While the school is part of the Valier Elementary district, its student population and performance metrics set it apart from nearby schools.

Pondera Colony School stands out for its 100% White student population, which is significantly different from the more diverse racial compositions of schools like Heart Butte Elementary (98.95% Native American) and Valier School (60.26% White, 28.21% Native American). Academically, the school has shown mixed performance, with 25% of students proficient in Math and 31.25% proficient in Reading, compared to district and state averages. However, Pondera Colony School spends more per student ($15,674) than nearby schools like Kingsbury Colony Attn Center ($10,911) and Miami School ($9,510).

One notable challenge for Pondera Colony School is its relatively high student-teacher ratio of 27:1, significantly higher than nearby schools like Bynum School (14:1), Kingsbury Colony Attn Center (9.6:1), and Dupuyer School (10.5:1). This suggests the school may be facing staffing challenges or difficulties in attracting and retaining teachers, which could impact the quality of education for its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

300 Pondera Colony Rd
Valier, MT 59486

(406) 279-3464

District: Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
265^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,461

Student/teacher ratio: 27.0

Number of students: 27

Racial breakdown:

White:

100.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pondera Colony School ranks worse than 79.8% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.06. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (100%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pondera Colony School is 27, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Pondera Colony School employs 1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pondera Colony School is $13,461. 1 elementary schools in the Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Pondera Colony School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools 211^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pondera Colony School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2021	10.56	325^th	356	8.7%
2022	28.91	270^th	329	17.9%
2023	26.06	265^th	332	20.2%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Pondera Colony School

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Year	White	Total
2017	19	19
2018	20	20
2019	19	19
2020	21	21
2021	23	23
2022	24	24
2023	27	27

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pondera Colony School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2018	20	2.0	10.0	85
2019	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2020	21	1.0	21.0	85.7
2021	23	1.0	23.0	n/a
2022	24	2.0	12.0	n/a
2023	27	1.0	27.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pondera Colony School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2018	20	2.0	10.0	85
2019	19	2.0	9.5	84.2
2020	21	1.0	21.0	85.7
2021	23	1.0	23.0	n/a
2022	24	2.0	12.0	n/a
2023	27	1.0	27.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pondera Colony School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$15,674
2021	$15,552
2022	$14,509
2023	$13,461

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pondera Colony School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	19	27	42.1%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	0	0
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	19	27	42.1%
Two or More Races	0	0

Schools Near Pondera Colony School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2023)	Montana State Tests Reading (2023)	Montana State Tests Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science All Grades	Total
Pondera Colony School	Public	PK, KG-8	300 Pondera Colony Rd	Valier	59486	Pondera County	Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 279-3464	27	1	27.0		27 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26.1	265^th of 332 public elementary schools	20.2%		28.9	270^th of 329 public elementary schools	17.9%	5	25.0	31.3		$13,461
Dupuyer School	Public	PK, KG-8	319 Columbus Loop	Dupuyer	59432	Pondera County	Dupuyer Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 472-3297	21	2	10.5		21 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1.5	330^th of 332 public elementary schools	0.6%		3.9	319^th of 329 public elementary schools	3.0%	11	0.0	0.0		$14,353
Miami School	Public	PK, KG-8	400 New Miami Colony Lane	Conrad	59425	Pondera County	Miami Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 472-3325	34	3	11.3		34 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.6	312^th of 332 public elementary schools	6.0%		14	300^th of 329 public elementary schools	8.8%	12	12.0	12.0		$10,745
Kingsbury Colony Attn Center	Public	PK, KG-8	804 4th Street	Valier	59486	Pondera County	Valier Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 279-3314	20	2	9.6		20 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.4	274^th of 332 public elementary schools	17.5%		23.6	277^th of 329 public elementary schools	15.8%	3	20.0	33.3		$14,552
Valier School	Public	PK, KG-6	723 4th Street	Valier	59486	Pondera County	Valier Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 279-3314	78	6	12.7		47 (60.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.7%)	18.6	284^th of 332 public elementary schools	14.5%		50	198^th of 329 public elementary schools	39.8%	86	26.3	15.8		$14,307
Pendroy School	Public	PK, KG-8	700 W Pendroy Rd	Pendroy	59467	Teton County	Pendroy Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 469-2387	11	1	11.0		11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				$21,702
Bynum School	Public	PK, KG-8	210 Central Ave	Bynum	59419	Teton County	Bynum Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 469-2373	28	2	14.0		25 (89.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.8	301^st of 332 public elementary schools	9.3%		31.7	260^th of 329 public elementary schools	21.0%	41	18.8	18.8		$9,348
Heart Butte Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1 School Road	Heart Butte	59448	Pondera County	Heart Butte K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 338-2200	95	11	8.4		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (98.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1.8	327^th of 332 public elementary schools	1.5%		2.2	325^th of 329 public elementary schools	1.2%	2	2.0	0.0	0.0	$28,377

Frequently Asked Questions about Pondera Colony School

Is Pondera Colony School a good school?

Pondera Colony School ranks in the bottom 20.2% of Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Pondera Colony School?

Students at Pondera Colony School are 100% White.

How many students attend Pondera Colony School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 27 students attended Pondera Colony School.

What district is Pondera Colony School in?

Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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