Swan River School

Q: Is Swan River School a good school?

Swan River School ranks 240 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Swan River School is an elementary school located in Bigfork, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 112 students. The school is part of the Bigfork Elementary district, which is ranked 223 out of 300 districts in Montana and is rated 1 star out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Swan River School has several key areas of concern. Academically, the school has consistently underperformed compared to the state and nearby schools in mathematics, reading, and science proficiency on Montana state tests. For example, in 2022-2023, only 22.81% of Swan River students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to the state average of 36.59%. The school's statewide ranking has also declined over the years, from a high of 32nd out of 247 Montana elementary schools in 2010-2011 to 240th out of 332 in 2022-2023, with a consistent 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, Swan River School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (93.75%) compared to the more diverse student populations at nearby schools like Jeannette Rankin Elementary School.

Interestingly, Swan River School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.4 to 16.4 over the past three years, which is lower than some of the nearby schools. However, the school's spending per student ($9,163 in 2018-2019) is lower than the nearby Lakeside Elementary School ($8,960 in 2018-2019), which may contribute to the academic performance gap. Nearby high-performing schools like Deer Park School, Lakeside Elementary School, and Creston School consistently outperform Swan River in academic measures and have higher statewide rankings, suggesting that there may be opportunities for Swan River to learn from these higher-performing schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1205 Swan Highway
Bigfork, MT 59911

(406) 837-4528

District: Swan River Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
240^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,496

Students who attend Swan River School usually attend:

Middle:	Swan River 6-8
High:	Bigfork High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 111

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.1%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Hispanic:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.3%

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Compare Swan River School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Swan River School ranks worse than 72.3% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.91. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (90.1%), two or more races (4.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Swan River School is 13.3. (See more...)

Compare Swan River School employs 8.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Swan River School is $10,496.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Swan River Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Swan River Elementary 223^rd of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Swan River School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	72.65	52^nd	217	76.0%
2005	77.07	43^rd	218	80.3%
2006	60.49	100^th	234	57.3%
2007	72.52	42^nd	230	81.7%
2008	75.39	28^th	194	85.6%
2009	75.24	20^th	190	89.5%
2010	71.65	46^th	241	80.9%
2011	76.24	32^nd	247	87.0%
2012	68.83	60^th	244	75.4%
2013	63.26	84^th	246	65.9%
2016	49.44	99^th	191	48.2%
2021	32.19	274^th	356	23.0%
2022	40.03	240^th	329	27.1%
2023	35.91	240^th	332	27.7%

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 Swan River 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	129	129
1991	102	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	103
1992	115	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	117
1993	120	0	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	123
1994	131	0	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	134
1995	125	0	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	130
1996	125	0	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	130
1997	130	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	132
1998	117	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	121
1999	107	1	2	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	116
2000	123	0	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	127
2001	112	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	115
2002	108	0	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	115
2003	108	0	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	115
2004	117	0	0	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	128
2005	121	0	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	128
2006	130	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	130
2007	133	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	133
2008	124	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	125
2009	110	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	111
2010	110	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	111
2011	114	2	1	1	0	0	0	0	118
2012	121	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	125
2013	117	0	1	4	0	1	0	0	123
2014	114	0	1	3	0	1	0	0	119
2015	112	0	1	3	0	1	1	0	118
2016	109	0	1	7	0	1	1	0	119
2017	109	0	1	6	0	1	2	0	119
2018	107	0	0	5	0	1	4	0	117
2019	117	0	0	6	0	1	4	0	128
2020	135	1	0	10	0	0	4	0	150
2021	129	0	0	12	0	0	5	0	146
2022	112	0	0	4	0	0	3	0	119
2023	105	0	0	4	0	0	3	0	112
2024	100	1	0	3	2	0	5	0	111

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 Swan River School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	129	10.5	12.2	11.6
1991	103	7.0	14.7	7.8
1992	117	7.5	15.6	19.7
1993	123	7.8	15.8	13.8
1994	134	7.9	17.0	17.9
1995	130	7.8	16.7	10.8
1996	130	7.8	16.7	10.8
1997	132	8.6	15.3	16.7
1998	121	8.4	14.4	19
1999	116	8.4	13.8	23.3
2000	127	7.9	16.1	22.8
2001	115	9.6	12.0	23.5
2002	115	8.8	13.1	23.5
2003	115	8.8	13.1	23.5
2004	128	9.1	14.1	27.3
2005	128	9.0	14.2	29.7
2006	130	9.2	14.1	30.8
2007	133	9.4	14.1	23.3
2008	125	9.4	13.3	25.6
2009	111	9.1	12.2	24.3
2010	111	8.7	12.6	37.8
2011	118	8.7	13.4	42.4
2012	125	9.6	12.9	49.6
2013	123	9.4	13.0	41.5
2014	119	7.9	15.0	42
2015	118	9.0	13.1	22.9
2016	119	9.0	13.2	0
2017	119	8.6	13.8	0
2018	117	8.6	13.6	0
2019	128	9.1	13.9	39.8
2020	150	9.1	16.4	2
2021	146	8.9	16.4	n/a
2022	119	8.9	13.3	n/a
2023	112	9.0	12.4	n/a
2024	111	8.3	13.3	33.3

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 Swan River School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	129	10.5	12.2	11.6
1991	103	7.0	14.7	7.8
1992	117	7.5	15.6	19.7
1993	123	7.8	15.8	13.8
1994	134	7.9	17.0	17.9
1995	130	7.8	16.7	10.8
1996	130	7.8	16.7	10.8
1997	132	8.6	15.3	16.7
1998	121	8.4	14.4	19
1999	116	8.4	13.8	23.3
2000	127	7.9	16.1	22.8
2001	115	9.6	12.0	23.5
2002	115	8.8	13.1	23.5
2003	115	8.8	13.1	23.5
2004	128	9.1	14.1	27.3
2005	128	9.0	14.2	29.7
2006	130	9.2	14.1	30.8
2007	133	9.4	14.1	23.3
2008	125	9.4	13.3	25.6
2009	111	9.1	12.2	24.3
2010	111	8.7	12.6	37.8
2011	118	8.7	13.4	42.4
2012	125	9.6	12.9	49.6
2013	123	9.4	13.0	41.5
2014	119	7.9	15.0	42
2015	118	9.0	13.1	22.9
2016	119	9.0	13.2	0
2017	119	8.6	13.8	0
2018	117	8.6	13.6	0
2019	128	9.1	13.9	39.8
2020	150	9.1	16.4	2
2021	146	8.9	16.4	n/a
2022	119	8.9	13.3	n/a
2023	112	9.0	12.4	n/a
2024	111	8.3	13.3	33.3

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 Swan River School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,163
2021	$8,974
2022	$10,634
2023	$10,496

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Swan River 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	128	112	12.5%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	6	4	33.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	117	105	10.3%
Two or More Races	4	3	25%

Schools Near Swan River 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
Swan River School	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 Swan Highway	Bigfork	59911	Flathead County	Swan River Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 837-4528	111	8	13.3	33.3%	100 (90.1%)	1 (0.9%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.5%)	35.9	240^th of 332 public elementary schools	27.7%		40	240^th of 329 public elementary schools	27.1%		22.8	45.6	27.3	$10,496
Bigfork Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	600 Commerce St	Bigfork	59911	Flathead County	Bigfork Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 837-7412	445	29	15.5	34.4%	414 (93.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	71	98^th of 332 public elementary schools	70.5%		70.1	117^th of 329 public elementary schools	64.4%	19	41.1	55.7	47.3	$10,496
Creston School	Public	PK, KG-6	4495 Montana 35	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Creston Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-2859	104	10	10.4		82 (78.8%)	1 (1.0%)	14 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.8%)	89.9	29^th of 332 public elementary schools	91.3%		88.3	38^th of 329 public elementary schools	88.4%	9	61.4	57.1	80.0	$9,121
Cayuse Prairie School	Public	PK, KG-6	897 Lake Blaine Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Cayuse Prairie Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 756-4560	259	17	15.0	36.3%	244 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	78.6	71^st of 332 public elementary schools	78.6%		50.2	195^th of 329 public elementary schools	40.7%	124	45.6	59.6	51.4	$10,921
Lakeside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	255 Adams Street	Lakeside	59922	Flathead County	Somers Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 844-2208	279	17	16.0	40.1%	258 (92.5%)	4 (1.4%)	8 (2.9%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.4%)	89	36^th of 332 public elementary schools	89.2%		89.6	33^rd of 329 public elementary schools	90.0%	3	59.1	63.6		$10,998
Fair-Mont-Egan School	Public	PK, KG-5	797 Fairmont Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Fair-Mont-Egan Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-7072	101	10	10.6	25.7%	92 (91.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	4 (4.0%)	73.3	89^th of 332 public elementary schools	73.2%		67	129^th of 329 public elementary schools	60.8%	40	48.9	46.7	53.9	$18,681
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	351	27	13.2	100.0%	289 (82.3%)	2 (0.6%)	32 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	23 (6.6%)	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
Jeannette Rankin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2155 Airport Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3400	426	25	17.0	100.0%	372 (87.3%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.6%)	67	115^th of 332 public elementary schools	65.4%		68.9	120^th of 329 public elementary schools	63.5%	5	52.7	56.6	32.2	$11,308
Cornelius Hedges School	Public	PK, KG-5	827 4th Avenue E	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-4090	320	21	15.2	49.7%	273 (85.3%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (5.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.6%)	72.8	92^nd of 332 public elementary schools	72.3%		61.7	146^th of 329 public elementary schools	55.6%	54	47.8	63.0	38.5	$13,278
Elrod School	Public	PK, KG-5	412 3rd Avenue W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3700	211	18	11.7	100.0%	172 (81.5%)	1 (0.5%)	17 (8.1%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	18 (8.5%)	51.5	183^rd of 332 public elementary schools	44.9%		38.3	242^nd of 329 public elementary schools	26.4%	59	36.5	43.9	36.7	$13,056

Frequently Asked Questions about Swan River School

What schools do graduates of Swan River School attend?

Students who attend Swan River School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Swan River 6-8
High : Bigfork High School

How many students attend Swan River School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 111 students attended Swan River School.

Is Swan River School a good school?

Swan River School ranks 240^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Swan River School?

Students at Swan River School are 90% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What district is Swan River School in?

Swan River 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.