Grade Shift
Montana Reported More Twelfth Graders Than First Graders in 2026
Montana enrolled 10,036 first graders and 10,421 twelfth graders in 2026, the first such crossover in the complete 2018-2026 state-grade panel.
Montana
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Montana, grounded in Montana Department of Education data.
Montana's Graduation Rate Has Never Reached 90%. Four Subgroup Gaps Account for the Distance
In 14 years of four-year cohort data, Montana's statewide graduation rate has never reached 90%. Four groups of students graduating 13 to 25 points below the threshold account for the distance.
The Native American Graduation Reversal: Montana's Post-2021 Slide Erases Six Years of Progress
Montana's Native American graduation rate peaked at 69.2% in 2021, then dropped 3.1 points to 66.1% by 2023, its steepest slide on record.
Special Education in Montana: A Decade Stuck at 75%
Montana's special education graduation rate has bounced between 69% and 81% for a decade without sustained improvement, stuck at what amounts to a 75% ceiling.
Montana's Graduation Gender Gap: Boys Have Trailed Girls for 13 Straight Years
Montana's female students have outperformed males in graduation rates every year since 2011, with an average gap of 3.6 percentage points.
More Coverage
Equity
Montana's 2020 Graduation Gap by Economic Status Was 17.2 Points
Montana's economically disadvantaged students graduated at 76.8% in 2020, compared with 94.0% for non-disadvantaged students, a 17.2-point gap.
Equity
Montana's White-Native Graduation Gap Was 20.4 Points in 2020
Montana's White-Native American four-year graduation-rate gap ranged from 20.4 to 25.7 percentage points across the package's complete 2011-2020 race data.
Graduation Rate
Montana's Graduation Rate Is Sliding Backward -- Below 2014 Levels for the First Time
Montana's four-year graduation rate has posted three consecutive annual declines, falling to 85.0% in 2024 -- below where it stood a decade ago.
District Spotlight
East Helena Grew 54% in Seven Years
East Helena K-12 added 681 students since 2019, growing 54% as housing on a former Superfund site draws families priced out of Helena.
District Spotlight
Helena HS Lost More Students Than Any Montana High School
Helena's high school district shed 451 students since 2018 while East Helena, five miles away, surged 54%. The capital city's suburban donut is reshaping school funding.
Special Populations
Montana Now Serves 4,720 Students Who Are English Learners, Half Speaking Native American Languages
Enrollment of students who are English learners grew 51.6% in eight years even as Montana lost students overall, with nearly half speaking Native American languages.
Grade Shift
In the Flathead Valley, High Schools Surge While Elementary Rolls Shrink
Whitefish High School added 175 students since 2018, a 36% surge, while every elementary district in the Flathead Valley lost enrollment over the same period.
District Spotlight
Colstrip Lost One in Five Students as Its Power Plant Shrank
Colstrip's combined school enrollment fell 19.8% since 2018, tracking the closure of two coal-fired generating units and the uncertain future of two more.
District Spotlight
Livingston Lost 28% of Its Students. The Town Has Never Been More Popular.
Livingston Elem enrollment fell from 1,000 to 716 since 2018, the third-fastest decline among Montana districts with 200+ students, even as Park County's tourism economy booms.
Demographics
Hispanic Students Are Montana's Only Growing Demographic
Hispanic enrollment rose 44.8% since 2018 while every other racial group declined. Growth spans the state but may be slowing.
