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Polson Middle School

Summary:

Polson Middle School is a public middle school in Polson, Montana, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 524 students. The school stands out for its significantly higher percentage of Native American students compared to the state average, but its academic performance consistently lags behind nearby schools and the state as a whole.

Polson Middle School's proficiency rates in mathematics, reading, and science are all lower than the state averages, with just 24.9% of students proficient in math, 38.03% in reading, and 29.41% in science. This performance has led to a declining statewide ranking, from 24th out of 58 Montana middle schools in 2017-2018 to 136th out of 187 in 2022-2023, with a consistent 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. In comparison, the nearby Charlo 6-8 and Ronan Middle School both outperform Polson Middle School on academic metrics and have higher statewide rankings.

The high percentage of Native American students at Polson Middle School, at 34.35% compared to the state average of 10.4%, is an important factor to consider. Research has shown that socioeconomic and cultural factors can impact academic achievement for minority students, and it would be valuable to investigate the school's efforts to support and address the needs of its diverse student population. Despite spending more per student than the nearby Ronan Middle School, Polson Middle School's academic performance has not seen a corresponding improvement, suggesting the need for a closer examination of the school's strategies and resources.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 1602 2nd Street West
       Polson, MT  59860

(406) 883-6335

District: Polson Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
136th of 187 Montana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,004 Help


Students who attend Polson Middle School usually attend:

High:    Polson High School

Feeder schools for Polson Middle School:

Elementary:    Cherry Valley School
    Linderman School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  495

Racial breakdown:

White:
57.6%
American Indian:
35.2%
Hispanic:
3.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Polson Middle School ranks worse than 72.7% of middle schools in Montana. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 33.18. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (57.6%), American Indian (35.2%), Hispanic (3.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 48.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polson Middle School is 15.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Polson Middle School employs 32.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polson Middle School is $11,004.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Polson Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Polson Middle School 136th of 187 Montana public middle schools. (See Polson Middle School in the ranking list.)

Polson Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Polson Elementary 152nd of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Polson Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 50.95 100th 171 41.5%
2005 64.98 54th 164 67.1%
2006 57.49 63rd 146 56.8%
2007 60.10 54th 147 63.3%
2008 54.88 77th 149 48.3%
2009 47.40 100th 147 32.0%
2010 58.70 71st 156 54.5%
2011 43.73 117th 161 27.3%
2012 59.15 75th 156 51.9%
2013 46.39 115th 159 27.7%
2015 48.35 72nd 156 53.8%
2016 18.54 73rd 81 9.9%
2017 43.99 37th 55 32.7%
2018 59.40 24th 58 58.6%
2019 53.25 30th 60 50.0%
2021 33.44 142nd 200 29.0%
2022 33.54 135th 190 28.9%
2023 33.18 136th 187 27.3%
See the entire list of Montana Middle School Rankings!

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

Polson Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a citizen
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Open Quote best school in the world Close Quote



Enrollment information for Polson Middle School

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Compare
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 343 343
1991 255 0 0 0 90 n/a n/a 0 345
1992 177 0 0 1 61 n/a n/a 0 239
1993 199 0 0 0 62 n/a n/a 0 261
1994 220 0 1 0 64 n/a n/a 0 285
1995 213 0 3 2 69 n/a n/a 0 287
1996 213 0 3 2 69 n/a n/a 0 287
1997 228 0 2 0 63 n/a n/a 0 293
1998 212 1 3 2 68 n/a n/a 0 286
1999 226 0 4 1 68 n/a n/a 0 299
2000 234 1 1 3 69 n/a n/a 0 308
2001 213 0 0 2 67 n/a n/a 0 282
2002 216 0 1 4 98 n/a n/a 0 319
2003 216 0 1 4 98 n/a n/a 0 319
2004 209 0 3 1 85 n/a n/a 0 298
2005 179 0 1 5 74 n/a n/a 0 259
2006 168 1 2 10 73 n/a n/a 0 254
2007 169 1 8 6 76 n/a n/a 0 260
2008 177 0 3 7 70 n/a n/a 0 257
2009 176 0 3 5 104 n/a n/a 0 288
2010 184 0 4 5 110 n/a n/a 0 303
2011 166 0 3 9 89 0 0 0 267
2012 179 1 2 7 91 0 0 0 280
2013 159 2 0 10 100 1 1 0 273
2014 135 3 1 9 100 1 1 0 250
2015 140 3 2 8 104 0 1 0 258
2016 153 3 3 5 109 0 1 0 274
2017 323 6 2 10 179 4 0 0 524
2018 327 9 2 9 187 3 1 0 538
2019 348 9 3 8 214 5 3 0 590
2020 339 8 6 6 234 2 8 0 603
2021 314 5 5 8 223 2 8 0 565
2022 322 2 4 14 207 2 5 0 556
2023 317 1 4 12 180 3 7 0 524
2024 285 3 4 19 174 0 10 0 495

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 Polson Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 343 21.4 16.0 28
1991 345 16.0 21.5 19.7
1992 239 10.0 23.9 61.1
1993 261 14.5 18.0 61.7
1994 285 15.4 18.5 35.1
1995 287 16.9 17.0 31.7
1996 287 16.9 17.0 31.7
1997 293 14.9 19.7 28.7
1998 286 17.1 16.7 32.2
1999 299 17.3 17.3 47.2
2000 308 17.4 17.7 39.6
2001 282 17.0 16.6 39.4
2002 319 16.8 19.0 49.2
2003 319 16.8 19.0 49.2
2004 298 18.4 16.2 48.7
2005 259 16.9 15.3 44.8
2006 254 19.0 13.4 43.7
2007 260 18.7 13.9 40
2008 257 18.9 13.6 36.2
2009 288 19.3 14.9 46.2
2010 303 19.9 15.2 44.2
2011 267 19.9 13.4 52.8
2012 280 19.1 14.6 51.4
2013 273 20.3 13.4 53.1
2014 250 17.9 13.9 53.2
2015 258 18.0 14.3 53.5
2016 274 19.0 14.4 48.5
2017 524 33.5 15.6 52.3
2018 538 33.5 16.0 53.5
2019 590 35.4 16.6 53.1
2020 603 36.9 16.3 52.2
2021 565 35.1 16.0 n/a
2022 556 33.3 16.6 n/a
2023 524 33.1 15.8 n/a
2024 495 32.3 15.3 48.9

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 Polson Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 343 21.4 16.0 28
1991 345 16.0 21.5 19.7
1992 239 10.0 23.9 61.1
1993 261 14.5 18.0 61.7
1994 285 15.4 18.5 35.1
1995 287 16.9 17.0 31.7
1996 287 16.9 17.0 31.7
1997 293 14.9 19.7 28.7
1998 286 17.1 16.7 32.2
1999 299 17.3 17.3 47.2
2000 308 17.4 17.7 39.6
2001 282 17.0 16.6 39.4
2002 319 16.8 19.0 49.2
2003 319 16.8 19.0 49.2
2004 298 18.4 16.2 48.7
2005 259 16.9 15.3 44.8
2006 254 19.0 13.4 43.7
2007 260 18.7 13.9 40
2008 257 18.9 13.6 36.2
2009 288 19.3 14.9 46.2
2010 303 19.9 15.2 44.2
2011 267 19.9 13.4 52.8
2012 280 19.1 14.6 51.4
2013 273 20.3 13.4 53.1
2014 250 17.9 13.9 53.2
2015 258 18.0 14.3 53.5
2016 274 19.0 14.4 48.5
2017 524 33.5 15.6 52.3
2018 538 33.5 16.0 53.5
2019 590 35.4 16.6 53.1
2020 603 36.9 16.3 52.2
2021 565 35.1 16.0 n/a
2022 556 33.3 16.6 n/a
2023 524 33.1 15.8 n/a
2024 495 32.3 15.3 48.9

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 Polson Middle School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $9,839
2021 $9,562
2022 $9,741
2023 $11,004

Data source: Montana Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polson Middle 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 30th of 60 Middle schoolsRanks 136th of 187 Middle schools
 22.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students590524
 11.2%
African American91
 88.9%
American Indian214180
 15.9%
Asian34
 33.3%
Hispanic812
 50%
Pacific Islander53
 40%
White348317
 8.9%
Two or More Races37
 133.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Polson Middle School

In the 2023-24 school year, 495 students attended Polson Middle School.

Students at Polson Middle School are 58% White, 35% American Indian, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Polson Middle School ranks 136th of 187 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students who attend Polson Middle School usually go on to attend Polson High 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.




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