Bissell School

Q: Is Bissell School a good school?

Bissell School ranks 100 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bissell School is an elementary school located in Whitefish, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with an enrollment of 89 students. It is part of the Olney-Bissell Elementary School District, which is ranked 59 out of 300 districts in Montana and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bissell School consistently outperforms the state average in both mathematics and reading proficiency. In 2022-2023, 45.65% of Bissell students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to the state average of 36.59%. In reading, 52.17% of Bissell students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 46.03%. This strong academic performance has earned Bissell School a ranking in the top 100 elementary schools in Montana for the past several years, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in 2022-2023. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 13.8 over the past three years, which is lower than many of the nearby schools like Edgerton School and West Valley School.

However, Bissell School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (94.38%) compared to the more diverse student populations at nearby schools. While the school's academic performance is impressive, its ranking has declined from 85 out of 287 elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 100 out of 332 in 2022-2023, suggesting the need to identify areas for improvement to maintain its competitive position. Overall, Bissell School is a high-performing elementary school with a consistent track record of academic success, but it may need to address its racial homogeneity and declining ranking to continue providing an excellent education for all students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

5955 Farm To Market Road
Whitefish, MT 59937

(406) 862-2828

District: Olney-Bissell Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
100^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,509

Students who attend Bissell School usually attend:

Middle:	Bissell 7-8
High:	Whitefish High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 89

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.4%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Hispanic:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bissell School ranks better than 69.9% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.25. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94.4%), two or more races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bissell School is 13.8. (See more...)

Compare Bissell School employs 6.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bissell School is $11,509.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Olney-Bissell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Olney-Bissell Elementary 59^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bissell School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2005	49.96	127^th	218	41.7%
2008	47.52	122^nd	194	37.1%
2009	16.56	174^th	190	8.4%
2010	36.08	190^th	241	21.2%
2011	31.66	198^th	247	19.8%
2012	41.61	179^th	244	26.6%
2013	33.50	191^st	246	22.4%
2015	71.34	85^th	287	70.4%
2021	65.00	139^th	356	61.0%
2022	70.90	114^th	329	65.3%
2023	70.25	100^th	332	69.9%

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 Bissell School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	93	93
1991	63	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	63
1992	61	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	61
1993	66	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	67
1994	69	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	69
1995	74	0	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	77
1996	74	0	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	77
1997	68	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	68
1998	84	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	84
1999	74	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	74
2000	79	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	79
2001	55	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	55
2002	49	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	51
2003	49	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	51
2004	35	0	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	38
2005	56	1	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	61
2006	57	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	58
2007	59	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	60
2008	64	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	65
2009	71	0	1	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	79
2010	67	0	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	73
2011	70	0	0	4	0	0	7	0	81
2012	68	1	0	4	0	0	6	0	79
2013	60	1	0	5	0	0	5	0	71
2014	58	1	0	5	0	0	4	0	68
2015	57	0	0	4	1	0	1	0	63
2016	59	0	1	4	1	0	2	0	67
2017	52	0	1	5	3	0	3	0	64
2018	48	0	0	8	2	1	5	0	64
2019	52	0	0	6	1	0	3	0	62
2020	51	0	0	7	3	0	3	0	64
2021	59	0	0	5	1	0	5	0	70
2022	76	0	0	5	0	0	6	0	87
2023	84	0	0	2	0	0	3	0	89

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 Bissell School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	93	7.0	13.2	n/a
1991	63	4.0	15.7	0
1992	61	4.0	15.2	11.5
1993	67	4.6	14.6	13.4
1994	69	4.9	14.1	5.8
1995	77	4.6	16.7	13
1996	77	4.6	16.7	13
1997	68	5.2	13.1	17.6
1998	84	5.5	15.3	0
1999	74	5.6	13.2	0
2000	79	5.0	15.8	12.7
2001	55	4.9	11.2	0
2002	51	4.0	12.8	19.6
2003	51	4.0	12.8	19.6
2004	38	4.5	8.4	10.5
2005	61	4.8	12.7	31.1
2006	58	5.3	10.9	17.2
2007	60	5.6	10.7	33.3
2008	65	5.1	12.7	43.1
2009	79	6.4	12.3	58.2
2010	73	6.8	10.6	67.1
2011	81	7.3	11.0	65.4
2012	79	7.7	10.1	63.3
2013	71	7.9	8.8	52.1
2014	68	8.1	8.3	55.9
2015	63	7.0	9.0	50.8
2016	67	8.0	8.3	50.7
2017	64	7.2	8.8	65.6
2018	64	5.7	11.0	40.6
2019	62	5.2	11.8	48.4
2020	64	5.2	12.2	51.6
2021	70	6.3	10.9	n/a
2022	87	6.6	13.0	n/a
2023	89	6.4	13.8	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 Bissell School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	93	7.0	13.2	n/a
1991	63	4.0	15.7	0
1992	61	4.0	15.2	11.5
1993	67	4.6	14.6	13.4
1994	69	4.9	14.1	5.8
1995	77	4.6	16.7	13
1996	77	4.6	16.7	13
1997	68	5.2	13.1	17.6
1998	84	5.5	15.3	0
1999	74	5.6	13.2	0
2000	79	5.0	15.8	12.7
2001	55	4.9	11.2	0
2002	51	4.0	12.8	19.6
2003	51	4.0	12.8	19.6
2004	38	4.5	8.4	10.5
2005	61	4.8	12.7	31.1
2006	58	5.3	10.9	17.2
2007	60	5.6	10.7	33.3
2008	65	5.1	12.7	43.1
2009	79	6.4	12.3	58.2
2010	73	6.8	10.6	67.1
2011	81	7.3	11.0	65.4
2012	79	7.7	10.1	63.3
2013	71	7.9	8.8	52.1
2014	68	8.1	8.3	55.9
2015	63	7.0	9.0	50.8
2016	67	8.0	8.3	50.7
2017	64	7.2	8.8	65.6
2018	64	5.7	11.0	40.6
2019	62	5.2	11.8	48.4
2020	64	5.2	12.2	51.6
2021	70	6.3	10.9	n/a
2022	87	6.6	13.0	n/a
2023	89	6.4	13.8	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 Bissell School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$13,625
2022	$10,878
2023	$11,509

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bissell 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	62	89	43.5%
African American	0	0
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	6	2	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	52	84	61.5%
Two or More Races	3	3

Schools Near Bissell 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
Bissell School	Public	PK, KG-6	5955 Farm To Market Road	Whitefish	59937	Flathead County	Olney-Bissell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 862-2828	89	6	13.8		84 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	70.2	100^th of 332 public elementary schools	69.9%		70.9	114^th of 329 public elementary schools	65.3%	14	45.7	52.2		$11,509
L A Muldown School	Public	PK, KG-4	1300 East 7th St.	Whitefish	59937	Flathead County	Whitefish Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 862-8620	653	49	13.3		584 (89.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.5%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.4%)	94.3	15^th of 332 public elementary schools	95.5%		81.4	73^rd of 329 public elementary schools	77.8%	58	68.9	68.3		$12,426
West Valley School	Public	PK, KG-4	2290 Farm To Market Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	West Valley Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-7239	424	29	14.7		389 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	80.5	63^rd of 332 public elementary schools	81.0%		85.9	58^th of 329 public elementary schools	82.4%	5	57.1	54.2		$12,499
Edgerton School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Whitefish Stage	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-4040	495	28	17.6		435 (87.9%)	6 (1.2%)	18 (3.6%)	7 (1.4%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.4%)	81.7	57^th of 332 public elementary schools	82.8%		88.8	36^th of 329 public elementary schools	89.1%	21	56.1	54.0	53.9	$10,761
Ruder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 12th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6570	563	35	16.0		497 (88.3%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.9%)	61.5	135^th of 332 public elementary schools	59.3%		57.7	160^th of 329 public elementary schools	51.4%	25	43.7	46.4	40.4	$11,107
Helena Flats School	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Helena Flats Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Helena Flats Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 257-2301	229	14	16.9		207 (90.4%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.2%)	6 (2.6%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	54.4	169^th of 332 public elementary schools	49.1%		35.5	250^th of 329 public elementary schools	24.0%	81	30.0	50.0	40.9	$8,998
Glacier Gateway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 4th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6540	473	35	13.7		406 (85.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.8%)	32.4	250^th of 332 public elementary schools	24.7%		33.3	257^th of 329 public elementary schools	21.9%	7	29.8	36.3	25.0	$12,615
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	227 West Nevada	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3900	233	15	15.5		198 (85.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.9%)	76.8	80^th of 332 public elementary schools	75.9%		80.9	75^th of 329 public elementary schools	77.2%	5	47.5	51.0	56.8	$12,659
East Evergreen School	Public	PK, KG-4	585 E. Evergreen	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Evergreen Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-1121	360	29	12.4		293 (81.4%)	4 (1.1%)	31 (8.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (6.9%)	38.3	230^th of 332 public elementary schools	30.7%		57.8	158^th of 329 public elementary schools	52.0%	72	35.9	31.7		$14,696
Lillian Peterson School	Public	PK, KG-5	1119 2nd Street W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-3737	337	20	16.8		282 (83.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.6%)	3 (0.9%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.3%)	77.5	77^th of 332 public elementary schools	76.8%		88.2	39^th of 329 public elementary schools	88.1%	38	53.3	50.0	53.1	$10,506

Frequently Asked Questions about Bissell School

Is Bissell School a good school?

Bissell School ranks 100^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Bissell School in?

Olney-Bissell Elementary

What schools do graduates of Bissell School attend?

Students who attend Bissell School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bissell 7-8
High : Whitefish High School

What is the racial makeup of Bissell School?

Students at Bissell School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

How many students attend Bissell School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 89 students attended Bissell School.

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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.