Paxson School

Summary:

Paxson School is an exceptional elementary school in Missoula, Montana, serving 463 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Missoula Elementary District, which is ranked 54 out of 300 districts in the state.

Paxson School consistently outperforms the Missoula Elementary district and the state of Montana in academic proficiency across all subjects. In the 2022-2023 school year, Paxson School had 61.61% of students proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 49.33% for Missoula Elementary and 36.59% for the state. In Reading, Paxson School had 71.9% proficiency, compared to 58.86% for Missoula Elementary and 46.03% for the state. In Science, Paxson School had 70.31% proficiency, compared to 53.35% for Missoula Elementary and 37.03% for the state. This strong academic performance has earned Paxson School a ranking of 10 out of 332 elementary schools in Montana, placing it in the top 3% statewide.

While Paxson School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with 78.19% White, 7.99% Hispanic, 9.07% Native American, and 2.59% African American students, the racial makeup still skews heavily towards White students. This could indicate a need to further diversify the student body and ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities. Interestingly, Paxson School achieves its high academic performance with relatively lower per-student spending ($8,643 in 2018-2019) compared to some nearby schools, such as Lowell School ($10,972) and Russell School ($10,565), suggesting efficient resource allocation and effective use of funds.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

101 Evans
Missoula, MT 59801

(406) 542-4055

District: Missoula Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
10^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,703

Students who attend Paxson School usually attend:

Middle:	Washington Middle School
High:	Hellgate High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 463

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.2%

American Indian:

9.1%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 13.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Paxson School ranks better than 97% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 2^nd among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.22. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Paxson School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Missoula Elementary School District. Racial makeup is: White (78.2%), American Indian (9.1%), Hispanic (8%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paxson School is 16.9, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Paxson School employs 27.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paxson School is $11,703. 7 elementary schools in the Missoula Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Paxson 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 Paxson School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	43.18	139^th	217	35.9%
2005	67.74	71^st	218	67.4%
2006	64.37	79^th	234	66.2%
2007	78.84	14^th	230	93.9%
2008	74.64	31^st	194	84.0%
2009	73.88	32^nd	190	83.2%
2010	66.07	73^rd	241	69.7%
2011	64.25	91^st	247	63.2%
2012	64.77	78^th	244	68.0%
2013	62.54	89^th	246	63.8%
2015	80.17	55^th	287	80.8%
2016	80.19	36^th	191	81.2%
2017	64.71	36^th	109	67.0%
2018	66.47	35^th	116	69.8%
2019	75.65	26^th	123	78.9%
2021	86.26	55^th	356	84.6%
2022	92.71	20^th	329	93.9%
2023	95.22	10^th	332	97.0%

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 Paxson 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	304	304
1991	273	3	9	3	20	n/a	n/a	0	308
1992	283	4	11	0	23	n/a	n/a	0	321
1993	370	5	17	7	25	n/a	n/a	0	424
1994	372	4	12	5	18	n/a	n/a	0	411
1995	306	1	12	7	26	n/a	n/a	0	352
1996	306	1	12	7	26	n/a	n/a	0	352
1997	266	1	11	3	17	n/a	n/a	0	298
1998	253	1	6	5	31	n/a	n/a	0	296
1999	240	2	6	4	24	n/a	n/a	0	276
2000	358	3	7	3	24	n/a	n/a	0	395
2001	331	6	3	6	23	n/a	n/a	0	369
2002	358	5	4	2	29	n/a	n/a	0	398
2003	358	5	4	2	29	n/a	n/a	0	398
2004	370	12	12	2	27	n/a	n/a	0	423
2005	360	10	7	4	29	n/a	n/a	0	410
2006	351	5	6	8	24	n/a	n/a	0	394
2007	325	6	7	13	20	n/a	n/a	0	371
2008	303	4	5	9	24	n/a	n/a	0	345
2009	314	5	5	5	22	n/a	n/a	0	351
2010	302	3	11	7	20	n/a	n/a	0	343
2011	289	7	12	7	23	1	0	0	339
2012	294	13	7	4	25	4	1	0	348
2013	330	9	7	5	34	2	3	0	390
2014	345	8	5	9	32	1	3	0	403
2015	368	12	8	9	33	2	0	0	432
2016	367	8	10	9	28	1	0	0	423
2017	373	8	10	12	22	1	2	0	428
2018	389	13	12	15	22	1	0	0	452
2019	402	16	7	20	36	1	0	0	482
2020	392	12	3	29	37	1	1	0	475
2021	338	8	5	32	31	1	1	0	416
2022	345	9	7	38	28	0	2	0	429
2023	362	12	4	37	42	1	5	0	463

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 Paxson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	304	15.6	19.4	21.7
1991	308	14.6	21.0	20.5
1992	321	14.5	22.1	19.9
1993	424	19.7	21.5	23.8
1994	411	19.9	20.7	27
1995	352	17.7	19.9	23.3
1996	352	17.7	19.9	23.3
1997	298	15.5	19.2	24.8
1998	296	13.6	21.8	28.7
1999	276	13.6	20.3	35.1
2000	395	23.7	16.7	37.5
2001	369	23.7	15.6	33.6
2002	398	22.5	17.7	34.4
2003	398	22.5	17.7	34.4
2004	423	23.5	18.0	31.2
2005	410	21.9	18.7	30.2
2006	394	21.9	18.0	35
2007	371	21.2	17.5	34.8
2008	345	22.5	15.3	35.4
2009	351	22.5	15.6	35.3
2010	343	20.6	16.6	33.2
2011	339	19.9	16.9	38.9
2012	348	19.1	18.2	45.1
2013	390	21.3	18.2	40.5
2014	403	23.0	17.5	47.9
2015	432	23.0	18.7	33.8
2016	423	25.0	16.9	100
2017	428	27.0	15.8	100
2018	452	25.1	17.9	100
2019	482	25.8	18.6	28
2020	475	27.2	17.4	13.7
2021	416	24.7	16.8	n/a
2022	429	27.3	15.6	n/a
2023	463	27.3	16.9	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 Paxson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	304	15.6	19.4	21.7
1991	308	14.6	21.0	20.5
1992	321	14.5	22.1	19.9
1993	424	19.7	21.5	23.8
1994	411	19.9	20.7	27
1995	352	17.7	19.9	23.3
1996	352	17.7	19.9	23.3
1997	298	15.5	19.2	24.8
1998	296	13.6	21.8	28.7
1999	276	13.6	20.3	35.1
2000	395	23.7	16.7	37.5
2001	369	23.7	15.6	33.6
2002	398	22.5	17.7	34.4
2003	398	22.5	17.7	34.4
2004	423	23.5	18.0	31.2
2005	410	21.9	18.7	30.2
2006	394	21.9	18.0	35
2007	371	21.2	17.5	34.8
2008	345	22.5	15.3	35.4
2009	351	22.5	15.6	35.3
2010	343	20.6	16.6	33.2
2011	339	19.9	16.9	38.9
2012	348	19.1	18.2	45.1
2013	390	21.3	18.2	40.5
2014	403	23.0	17.5	47.9
2015	432	23.0	18.7	33.8
2016	423	25.0	16.9	100
2017	428	27.0	15.8	100
2018	452	25.1	17.9	100
2019	482	25.8	18.6	28
2020	475	27.2	17.4	13.7
2021	416	24.7	16.8	n/a
2022	429	27.3	15.6	n/a
2023	463	27.3	16.9	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 Paxson School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,643
2021	$12,051
2022	$11,753
2023	$11,703

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paxson 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 26^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 10^th of 332 Elementary schools	18.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	482	463	3.9%
African American	16	12	25%
American Indian	36	42	16.7%
Asian	7	4	42.9%
Hispanic	20	37	85%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	402	362	10%
Two or More Races	0	5

Schools Near Paxson 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
Paxson School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Evans	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4055	463	27	16.9		362 (78.2%)	12 (2.6%)	37 (8.0%)	4 (0.9%)	42 (9.1%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.1%)	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
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Park	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4035	440	32	13.8		382 (86.8%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.5%)	9 (2.0%)	19 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	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
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	3216 Russell Street	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4080	367	28	13.1		283 (77.1%)	8 (2.2%)	24 (6.5%)	9 (2.5%)	26 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.6%)	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
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	289	25	11.6		218 (75.4%)	19 (6.6%)	25 (8.7%)	7 (2.4%)	13 (4.5%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.7%)	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
Lowell School	Public	PK, KG-5	1215 Phillips St	Missoula	59802	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4040	285	24	11.9		232 (81.4%)	10 (3.5%)	16 (5.6%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	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
Hawthorne School	Public	PK, KG-5	550 Hiberta St.	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 542-4025	387	31	12.6		303 (78.3%)	7 (1.8%)	23 (5.9%)	8 (2.1%)	32 (8.3%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.1%)	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
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	445	35	12.5		400 (89.9%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.9%)	5 (1.1%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	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
Chief Charlo School	Public	PK, KG-5	5600 Longview Dr	Missoula	59803	Missoula County	Missoula Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 542-4005	429	29	14.6		362 (84.4%)	11 (2.6%)	22 (5.1%)	5 (1.2%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	91	23^rd of 332 public elementary schools	93.1%		87.8	42^nd of 329 public elementary schools	87.2%	19	62.8	71.9	53.1	$13,616
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	311	24	12.7		245 (78.8%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.4%)	7 (2.3%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.0%)								(n/a)				$13,407
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	338	20	16.5		277 (82.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (6.5%)	5 (1.5%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.0%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Paxson School

How many students attend Paxson School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 463 students attended Paxson School.

Is Paxson School a good school?

Yes! Paxson School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 10^th of 332 Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Paxson School?

Students at Paxson School are 78% White, 9% American Indian, 8% Hispanic, 3% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Paxson School attend?

Students who attend Paxson School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Washington Middle School
High : Hellgate High School

What district is Paxson School in?

Missoula Elementary

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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.