Three Forks Elementary School

Q: Is Three Forks Elementary School a good school?

Three Forks Elementary School ranks 151 st of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Three Forks Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 337 students in grades PK-5 in Three Forks, Montana, which is part of the Belgrade Elementary school district. While the school has a long history in the community, an analysis of its performance reveals some concerning trends compared to nearby schools.

One key finding is that Three Forks Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (94.07%) compared to nearby schools like Saddle Peak Elementary (78.6% white) and Amsterdam School (91.52% white). Additionally, the school's academic performance, as measured by test scores, is generally lower than surrounding high-performing schools like Amsterdam School (76.92% proficient in math, 78.02% in reading) and Manhattan Elementary (64.65% in math, 63.64% in reading). Three Forks Elementary's statewide ranking has also fluctuated, ranging from 97th out of 123 Montana elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 151st out of 332 in 2022-2023.

The analysis also reveals that Three Forks Elementary's academic performance has been declining over the past decade, with the school dropping from a 4-star rating in 2011-2012 to a 3-star rating in the most recent year. This suggests that the school may be struggling to keep up with the academic performance of other elementary schools in the state. Additionally, the school's spending per student ($7,480 in 2018-2019) is lower than some of the nearby high-performing schools, such as Harrison School ($14,182 per student) and Story Creek Elementary ($9,614 per student), which may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

212 East Neal
Three Forks, MT 59752

(406) 285-6830

District: Three Forks Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
151^st of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,720

Students who attend Three Forks Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Three Forks 7-8
High:	Three Forks High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 370

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.4%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.7%

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Compare Three Forks Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Three Forks Elementary School ranks better than 54.5% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.24. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.9%), two or more races (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 35.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Three Forks Elementary School is 13.6. (See more...)

Compare Three Forks Elementary School employs 27.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Three Forks Elementary School is $11,720.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Three Forks Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Three Forks Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Three Forks Elementary 199^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Three Forks Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	50.05	118^th	217	45.6%
2005	65.78	79^th	218	63.8%
2006	70.38	48^th	234	79.5%
2007	55.08	119^th	230	48.3%
2008	52.45	105^th	194	45.9%
2009	50.43	119^th	190	37.4%
2010	50.05	146^th	241	39.4%
2011	58.13	121^st	247	51.0%
2012	70.08	53^rd	244	78.3%
2013	67.62	67^th	246	72.8%
2015	55.35	137^th	287	52.3%
2016	39.92	118^th	191	38.2%
2017	30.21	85^th	109	22.0%
2018	29.75	90^th	116	22.4%
2019	24.13	97^th	123	21.1%
2021	64.16	144^th	356	59.6%
2022	53.67	182^nd	329	44.7%
2023	58.24	151^st	332	54.5%

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 Three Forks Elementary School

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	247	247
1991	202	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	203
1992	204	0	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	207
1993	224	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	226
1994	231	0	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	237
1995	268	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
1996	268	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
1997	289	0	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	293
1998	297	0	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
1999	279	0	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	284
2000	310	0	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
2001	327	2	0	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	333
2002	302	1	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	307
2003	302	1	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	307
2004	279	2	0	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	292
2005	257	3	0	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	270
2006	289	1	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	296
2007	267	2	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	271
2008	275	3	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	281
2009	275	3	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	283
2010	271	1	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	277
2011	266	1	2	2	0	0	0	0	271
2012	227	3	3	5	3	0	1	0	242
2013	251	0	5	6	2	0	0	0	264
2014	261	0	4	7	2	0	1	0	275
2015	276	0	3	6	2	0	1	0	288
2016	273	2	2	10	2	0	0	0	289
2017	282	2	1	10	0	0	1	0	296
2018	298	1	0	13	1	0	0	0	313
2019	298	0	2	12	2	2	1	0	317
2020	312	0	2	12	3	2	3	0	334
2021	316	2	3	12	2	1	3	0	339
2022	299	2	3	13	3	2	3	0	325
2023	317	0	0	13	1	2	4	0	337
2024	342	1	0	18	4	0	5	0	370

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 Three Forks Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	247	15.4	16.0	21.1
1991	203	12.1	16.7	46.8
1992	207	13.4	15.4	n/a
1993	226	14.0	16.1	20.4
1994	237	12.0	19.8	20.7
1995	272	15.7	17.3	26.8
1996	272	15.7	17.3	26.8
1997	293	16.6	17.7	16.7
1998	301	17.8	16.9	19.9
1999	284	17.1	16.6	23.6
2000	315	17.8	17.7	26
2001	333	17.7	18.8	32.1
2002	307	18.1	17.0	30.6
2003	307	18.1	17.0	30.6
2004	292	17.3	16.9	28.1
2005	270	18.3	14.8	25.2
2006	296	16.8	17.6	24
2007	271	17.1	15.8	28.8
2008	281	18.1	15.5	27
2009	283	18.2	15.5	29.7
2010	277	18.5	14.9	27.8
2011	271	18.2	14.8	35.8
2012	242	16.8	14.3	42.1
2013	264	16.8	15.6	37.1
2014	275	16.6	16.5	36.4
2015	288	17.0	16.9	37.5
2016	289	19.0	15.2	37.4
2017	296	18.0	16.4	32.8
2018	313	18.5	16.8	36.7
2019	317	18.5	17.1	36.9
2020	334	20.3	16.3	32.9
2021	339	22.3	15.1	n/a
2022	325	22.4	14.4	n/a
2023	337	24.1	13.9	n/a
2024	370	27.1	13.6	35.7

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 Three Forks Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	247	15.4	16.0	21.1
1991	203	12.1	16.7	46.8
1992	207	13.4	15.4	n/a
1993	226	14.0	16.1	20.4
1994	237	12.0	19.8	20.7
1995	272	15.7	17.3	26.8
1996	272	15.7	17.3	26.8
1997	293	16.6	17.7	16.7
1998	301	17.8	16.9	19.9
1999	284	17.1	16.6	23.6
2000	315	17.8	17.7	26
2001	333	17.7	18.8	32.1
2002	307	18.1	17.0	30.6
2003	307	18.1	17.0	30.6
2004	292	17.3	16.9	28.1
2005	270	18.3	14.8	25.2
2006	296	16.8	17.6	24
2007	271	17.1	15.8	28.8
2008	281	18.1	15.5	27
2009	283	18.2	15.5	29.7
2010	277	18.5	14.9	27.8
2011	271	18.2	14.8	35.8
2012	242	16.8	14.3	42.1
2013	264	16.8	15.6	37.1
2014	275	16.6	16.5	36.4
2015	288	17.0	16.9	37.5
2016	289	19.0	15.2	37.4
2017	296	18.0	16.4	32.8
2018	313	18.5	16.8	36.7
2019	317	18.5	17.1	36.9
2020	334	20.3	16.3	32.9
2021	339	22.3	15.1	n/a
2022	325	22.4	14.4	n/a
2023	337	24.1	13.9	n/a
2024	370	27.1	13.6	35.7

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 Three Forks Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$7,480
2021	$9,807
2022	$9,828
2023	$11,720

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Three Forks Elementary 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 97^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 151^st of 332 Elementary schools	33.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	317	337	6.3%
African American	0	0
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	12	13	8.3%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	298	317	6.4%
Two or More Races	1	4	300%

Schools Near Three Forks Elementary 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
Three Forks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	212 East Neal	Three Forks	59752	Gallatin County	Three Forks Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 285-6830	370	27	13.6	35.7%	342 (92.4%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	58.2	151^st of 332 public elementary schools	54.5%		53.7	182^nd of 329 public elementary schools	44.7%	31	40.9	46.5	38.6	$11,720
Willow Creek School	Public	PK, KG-6	407 Main	Willow Creek	59760	Gallatin County	Willow Creek Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 285-6991	34	6	5.7	8.8%	34 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.7	206^th of 332 public elementary schools	38.0%		50.3	194^th of 329 public elementary schools	41.0%	12	37.5	37.5		$18,107
Manhattan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	416 North Broadway	Manhattan	59741	Gallatin County	Manhattan School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 284-3250	259	20	12.9	33.6%	242 (93.4%)	3 (1.2%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	5 (1.9%)	90.9	24^th of 332 public elementary schools	92.8%		83.7	64^th of 329 public elementary schools	80.5%	40	64.7	63.6		$12,231
Amsterdam School	Public	PK, KG-6	6360 Camp Creek Road	Manhattan	59741	Gallatin County	Amsterdam Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 282-7216	166	11	15.5	8.4%	149 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	97.6	4^th of 332 public elementary schools	98.8%		97.4	9^th of 329 public elementary schools	97.3%	5	76.9	78.0	66.7	$9,059
Harrison School	Public	PK, KG-6	120 Harrison St	Harrison	59735	Madison County	Harrison K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 685-3428	62	5	12.1	35.5%	57 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	1 (1.6%)	1 (1.6%)	1 (1.6%)	1 (1.6%)	31.1	253^rd of 332 public elementary schools	23.8%		26.3	273^rd of 329 public elementary schools	17.0%	20	26.9	34.6		$15,859
Story Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	807 Bolinger Road	Belgrade	59714	Gallatin County	Belgrade Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 924-2791	431	30	14.3	30.4%	367 (85.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (8.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	78.2	73^rd of 332 public elementary schools	78.0%		90.1	29^th of 329 public elementary schools	91.2%	44	53.0	54.3		$10,953
Ridge View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	117 Green Belt Drive	Belgrade	59714	Gallatin County	Belgrade Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 388-4534	454	30	15.0	35.2%	383 (84.4%)	3 (0.7%)	49 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.3%)	89.1	35^th of 332 public elementary schools	89.5%		95.6	16^th of 329 public elementary schools	95.1%	19	63.6	61.4		$11,116
Saddle Peak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	400 N. Jackrabbit Lane	Belgrade	59714	Gallatin County	Belgrade Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 924-2006	438	31	14.2	52.7%	343 (78.3%)	1 (0.2%)	62 (14.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	15 (3.4%)	60	143^rd of 332 public elementary schools	56.9%		64	140^th of 329 public elementary schools	57.4%	3	42.6	45.5		$10,859
Cardwell School	Public	PK, KG-8	80 Highway 359	Cardwell	59721	Jefferson County	Cardwell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 287-3321	37	5	7.4	56.8%	31 (83.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.4%)	83.9	52^nd of 332 public elementary schools	84.3%		87.3	44^th of 329 public elementary schools	86.6%	8	50.0	64.3		$14,247

Frequently Asked Questions about Three Forks Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Three Forks Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Three Forks Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Three Forks 7-8
High : Three Forks High School

What district is Three Forks Elementary School in?

Three Forks Elementary

How many students attend Three Forks Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 370 students attended Three Forks Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Three Forks Elementary School?

Students at Three Forks Elementary School are 92% White, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Is Three Forks Elementary School a good school?

Three Forks Elementary School ranks 151^st of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.