Lowell School

Q: Is Lowell School a good school?

Lowell School ranks 126 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Lowell School is an elementary school in Missoula, MT, serving 285 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Missoula Elementary District, which is ranked 54 out of 300 districts in Montana and rated 4 stars out of 5.

While Lowell School has a higher percentage of White students (81.4%) and Native American students (7.02%) compared to surrounding schools, its academic performance lags behind. In 2022-2023, Lowell's proficiency rates were 43.94% in math, 48.48% in reading, and 40.91% in science, all below the Missoula Elementary district and state averages. This trend has been consistent over the past few years, and Lowell's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 126 out of 332 elementary schools (3 out of 5 stars) to as low as 268 out of 356 (1 out of 5 stars).

Interestingly, Lowell School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.9, compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 12.5 to 17.4 students per teacher. This suggests that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the school's academic challenges. Nearby schools like Chief Charlo School, Paxson School, and Rattlesnake Elementary School consistently outperform Lowell School on state assessments and have higher statewide rankings, indicating a clear performance gap that warrants further investigation.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1215 Phillips St
Missoula, MT 59802

(406) 542-4040

District: Missoula Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
126^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,905

Students who attend Lowell School usually attend:

Middle:	Porter Middle School
High:	Hellgate High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 325

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.5%

American Indian:

8.0%

Two or more races:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Lowell School ranks better than 62% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 8^th among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.56. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.5%), American Indian (8%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Missoula Elementary School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lowell School is 13.3, which is the 4^th best among 9 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Lowell School employs 24.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lowell School is $16,905, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Missoula Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Missoula Elementary 54^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lowell School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	50.64	115^th	217	47.0%
2005	13.98	200^th	218	8.3%
2006	41.93	163^rd	234	30.3%
2007	8.18	222^nd	230	3.5%
2008	16.77	181^st	194	6.7%
2009	24.15	169^th	190	11.1%
2010	51.98	137^th	241	43.2%
2011	64.63	86^th	247	65.2%
2012	62.51	88^th	244	63.9%
2013	64.73	75^th	246	69.5%
2015	64.70	113^th	287	60.6%
2016	39.59	120^th	191	37.2%
2018	45.87	65^th	116	44.0%
2019	19.53	105^th	123	14.6%
2021	34.17	268^th	356	24.7%
2022	56.02	167^th	329	49.2%
2023	63.56	126^th	332	62.0%

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 Lowell 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	387	387
1991	354	4	11	2	38	n/a	n/a	0	409
1992	344	2	9	10	42	n/a	n/a	0	407
1993	346	4	7	6	34	n/a	n/a	0	397
1994	346	3	9	9	29	n/a	n/a	0	396
1995	316	1	9	11	38	n/a	n/a	0	375
1996	316	1	9	11	38	n/a	n/a	0	375
1997	284	2	6	10	34	n/a	n/a	0	336
1998	234	4	6	8	23	n/a	n/a	0	275
1999	228	2	1	12	34	n/a	n/a	0	277
2000	211	1	3	9	30	n/a	n/a	0	254
2001	237	0	4	6	24	n/a	n/a	0	271
2002	182	3	2	12	23	n/a	n/a	0	222
2003	182	3	2	12	23	n/a	n/a	0	222
2004	186	4	1	8	25	n/a	n/a	0	224
2005	171	4	1	9	18	n/a	n/a	0	203
2006	171	10	4	7	21	n/a	n/a	0	213
2007	190	8	3	6	18	n/a	n/a	0	225
2008	189	3	3	4	18	n/a	n/a	0	217
2009	196	5	7	8	23	n/a	n/a	0	239
2010	201	5	3	10	38	n/a	n/a	0	257
2011	229	0	6	10	41	0	3	0	289
2012	225	1	4	7	59	0	5	0	301
2013	223	1	6	6	47	0	10	0	293
2014	225	3	7	8	42	0	4	0	289
2015	221	7	8	4	47	2	0	0	289
2016	228	7	9	9	42	2	0	0	297
2017	208	5	9	5	37	1	1	0	266
2018	216	11	9	14	37	0	0	0	287
2019	225	11	6	20	40	0	0	0	302
2020	216	6	4	18	43	0	0	0	287
2021	195	14	3	12	28	0	0	0	252
2022	223	14	2	18	29	0	3	0	289
2023	232	10	2	16	20	0	5	0	285
2024	255	13	5	12	26	0	14	0	325

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 Lowell School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	387	20.7	18.6	21.7
1991	409	18.1	22.5	23.5
1992	407	19.1	21.3	42.5
1993	397	21.1	18.8	48.6
1994	396	23.9	16.6	54.3
1995	375	24.7	15.2	59.5
1996	375	24.7	15.2	59.5
1997	336	23.0	14.6	60.7
1998	275	21.1	13.0	65.1
1999	277	19.1	14.5	67.1
2000	254	17.6	14.4	65.7
2001	271	19.4	14.0	71.6
2002	222	18.7	11.9	70.3
2003	222	18.7	11.9	70.3
2004	224	18.0	12.4	69.2
2005	203	16.8	12.1	74.9
2006	213	17.7	12.0	80.3
2007	225	17.7	12.7	77.3
2008	217	18.3	11.9	79.3
2009	239	19.3	12.4	72.4
2010	257	20.4	12.5	72.8
2011	289	19.8	14.5	77.2
2012	301	20.1	14.9	69.1
2013	293	19.3	15.1	66.2
2014	289	21.5	13.4	73.7
2015	289	22.0	13.1	100
2016	297	23.0	12.9	100
2017	266	23.2	11.4	100
2018	287	21.3	13.4	100
2019	302	21.7	13.8	52.3
2020	287	23.4	12.2	31.7
2021	252	21.1	11.9	n/a
2022	289	23.8	12.1	n/a
2023	285	23.8	11.9	n/a
2024	325	24.3	13.3	74.5

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 Lowell School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	387	20.7	18.6	21.7
1991	409	18.1	22.5	23.5
1992	407	19.1	21.3	42.5
1993	397	21.1	18.8	48.6
1994	396	23.9	16.6	54.3
1995	375	24.7	15.2	59.5
1996	375	24.7	15.2	59.5
1997	336	23.0	14.6	60.7
1998	275	21.1	13.0	65.1
1999	277	19.1	14.5	67.1
2000	254	17.6	14.4	65.7
2001	271	19.4	14.0	71.6
2002	222	18.7	11.9	70.3
2003	222	18.7	11.9	70.3
2004	224	18.0	12.4	69.2
2005	203	16.8	12.1	74.9
2006	213	17.7	12.0	80.3
2007	225	17.7	12.7	77.3
2008	217	18.3	11.9	79.3
2009	239	19.3	12.4	72.4
2010	257	20.4	12.5	72.8
2011	289	19.8	14.5	77.2
2012	301	20.1	14.9	69.1
2013	293	19.3	15.1	66.2
2014	289	21.5	13.4	73.7
2015	289	22.0	13.1	100
2016	297	23.0	12.9	100
2017	266	23.2	11.4	100
2018	287	21.3	13.4	100
2019	302	21.7	13.8	52.3
2020	287	23.4	12.2	31.7
2021	252	21.1	11.9	n/a
2022	289	23.8	12.1	n/a
2023	285	23.8	11.9	n/a
2024	325	24.3	13.3	74.5

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 Lowell School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,972
2021	$15,831
2022	$15,837
2023	$16,905

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lowell 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 105^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 126^th of 332 Elementary schools	47.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	302	285	5.6%
African American	11	10	9.1%
American Indian	40	20	50%
Asian	6	2	66.7%
Hispanic	20	16	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	225	232	3.1%
Two or More Races	0	5

Schools Near Lowell 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
Lowell School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Phillips St	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4040	325	24	13.3	74.5%	255 (78.5%)	13 (4.0%)	12 (3.7%)	5 (1.5%)	26 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	63.6	126^th of 332 public elementary schools	62.0%		56	167^th of 329 public elementary schools	49.2%	41	43.9	48.5	40.9	$16,905
Franklin School	Public	PK, KG-5	1910 S. 11th St	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4020	282	26	10.7	71.6%	210 (74.5%)	19 (6.7%)	26 (9.2%)	4 (1.4%)	13 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.2%)	56.8	157^th of 332 public elementary schools	52.7%		50.5	193^rd of 329 public elementary schools	41.3%	36	30.3	44.7	50.0	$15,100
Paxson School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Evans	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4055	418	30	14.0	36.6%	327 (78.2%)	14 (3.3%)	34 (8.1%)	3 (0.7%)	29 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.4%)	95.2	10^th of 332 public elementary schools	97.0%		92.7	20^th of 329 public elementary schools	93.9%	10	61.6	71.9	70.3	$11,703
Rattlesnake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1220 Pineview Drive	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4050	407	26	15.4	29.2%	361 (88.7%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.9%)	4 (1.0%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	96.9	6^th of 332 public elementary schools	98.2%		97.5	8^th of 329 public elementary schools	97.6%	2	68.3	73.0	73.6	$11,630
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Hiberta St.	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4025	377	35	10.7	56.8%	299 (79.3%)	5 (1.3%)	20 (5.3%)	8 (2.1%)	27 (7.2%)	2 (0.5%)	16 (4.2%)	84.5	50^th of 332 public elementary schools	84.9%		84.9	59^th of 329 public elementary schools	82.1%	9	50.5	55.4	72.7	$14,756
Hellgate Elementary Primary Grades	Public	PK, KG-1	2365 Flynne Lane	Missoula	59808	Missoula County	Hellgate Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 721-2452	292	22	13.0	35.3%	226 (77.4%)	3 (1.0%)	22 (7.5%)	10 (3.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (9.2%)								(n/a)				$13,407
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Park	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4035	423	28	14.9	34.8%	350 (82.7%)	5 (1.2%)	18 (4.3%)	7 (1.7%)	26 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	89.2	33^rd of 332 public elementary schools	90.1%		87	51^st of 329 public elementary schools	84.5%	18	54.3	65.3	60.5	$12,616
Hellgate Elementary Lower Grades	Public	2-3	2365 Flynn Lane	Missoula	59808	Missoula County	Hellgate Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 721-2160	343	21	16.0	35.6%	272 (79.3%)	3 (0.9%)	30 (8.7%)	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.5%)	80.9	61^st of 332 public elementary schools	81.6%		80.3	77^th of 329 public elementary schools	76.6%	16	50.6	59.3		$11,096
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	3216 Russell Street	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4080	385	30	12.9	59.2%	295 (76.6%)	4 (1.0%)	33 (8.6%)	10 (2.6%)	23 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.2%)	74.3	85^th of 332 public elementary schools	74.4%		76.3	85^th of 329 public elementary schools	74.2%		51.4	59.1	40.4	$14,214
Target Range School	Public	PK, KG-6	4095 South Avenue West	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Target Range Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 549-9239	415	27	15.4	36.1%	351 (84.6%)	3 (0.7%)	19 (4.6%)	7 (1.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	72.1	94^th of 332 public elementary schools	71.7%		81.4	72^nd of 329 public elementary schools	78.1%	22	43.8	57.5	44.6	$10,248

Frequently Asked Questions about Lowell School

What schools do graduates of Lowell School attend?

Students who attend Lowell School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Porter Middle School
High : Hellgate High School

What district is Lowell School in?

Missoula Elementary

Is Lowell School a good school?

Lowell School ranks 126^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lowell School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 325 students attended Lowell School.

What is the racial makeup of Lowell School?

Students at Lowell School are 78% White, 8% American Indian, 4% Two or more races, 4% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

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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.