Montana school safety

City and district rankings from federal incident data · 2021-22 collection

832SCHOOLS

303WITH TRUSTED DATA

9RANKED CITIES

Six districts on this page carry a ranking. There are 402 school districts in the state. That gap is the first thing worth understanding, and it is not a flaw in the data.

To rank a district, we need enough of its schools to have records complete enough to score. Most districts here don't have that many schools to begin with. Being unranked says nothing about a district — it means we don't have enough scored schools inside it to place it against districts elsewhere in the country.

The same logic runs at the school level. We publish a safety score for 303 of Montana's 832 schools. The rest either reported almost nothing for a school their size, or are small enough that a genuinely quiet year and a thin record look identical to us. A missing score is not a warning. It means we won't put a number on something we can't verify.

Montana's paperwork holds up well. We grade 2.9% of its schools' reporting as doubtful — a D or an E — against 11.3% of schools nationally. Read that carefully. It means Montana schools generally filed figures in line with what schools their size report. It does not mean Montana schools are safer than schools in other states. Every grade compares a school to roughly 1,500 schools nationwide closest to it in enrollment and grade level, and that comparison is not adjusted for state. Differences between states in this collection are differences in reporting behavior.

The ranked districts

Butte Elem ranks safer than 62% of ranked US districts, with 6 of the 7 schools in its scored set complete enough to score. Bozeman Elem follows at 57%, with 8 of 11. Missoula Elem is at 54%, with 11 of 12. Billings Elem is at 37%, with 20 of 28. Great Falls Elem is at 14%, with 17 of 17 — every school in its set scored, which makes its placement the best-evidenced of the five.

What you can take from this page: whether your school's records were complete enough to score, how its reported rate compares to schools its size across the country, and where its district sits among the districts we could rank. What you cannot take from it is a verdict on any school. These are 2021-22 federal reporting figures, and they describe what was written down.

Safest ranked cities in Montana

Percentile is against all ranked U.S. cities (higher = safer). Only cities with ≥5 trustworthy-data schools are ranked. Home value is Zillow's ZHVI.

#	CITY	SAFETY PCTL	SCHOOLS	HOME VALUE
1	Butte	62	7 of 8	$292,618
2	Kalispell	54	11 of 22	$565,330
3	Billings	39	30 of 43	$402,554
4	Bozeman	35	12 of 22	$733,959
5	Missoula	32	17 of 23	$576,303
6	Gallatin Gateway	31	5 of 5	$1,172,548
7	Great Falls	7	19 of 22	$342,814
8	Havre	7	5 of 8	$239,673
9	East Helena	1	5 of 5	$446,301

Safest ranked districts

#	DISTRICT	SAFETY PCTL	SCHOOLS
1	Butte Elem	62	6 of 7
2	Bozeman Elem	57	8 of 11
3	Missoula Elem	54	11 of 12
4	Billings Elem	37	20 of 28
5	Great Falls Elem	14	17 of 17
6	East Helena K-12	2	5 of 5

Every Montana city with schools

Absarokee Alberton Alder Alzada Anaconda Arlee Ashland Augusta Avon Babb Bainville Baker Basin Belfry Belgrade Belt Biddle Big Sandy Big Timber Bigfork Billings Birney Bloomfield Bonner Boulder Box Elder Bozeman Bridger Broadus Broadview Brockton Browning Brusett Butte Bynum Canyon Creek Cardwell Carter Cascade Charlo Chester Chinook Choteau Circle Clancy Clinton Clyde Park Cohagen Colstrip Columbia Falls Columbus Condon Conrad Cooke City Corvallis Crow Agency Culbertson Custer Cut Bank Darby Dayton Decker Deer Lodge Denton Dillon Divide Dixon Dodson Drummond Dupuyer Dutton E Glacier Park East Helena Ekalaka Elliston Ennis Eureka Fairfield Fairview Fishtail Florence Floweree Forsyth Fort Benton Fort Shaw Fort Smith Fortine Frazer Frenchtown Froid Fromberg Galata Gallatin Gateway Gardiner Garrison Geraldine Geyser Gildford Glasgow Glen Glendive Gold Creek Grass Range Great Falls Greenough Greycliff Hall Hamilton Hammond Hardin Harlem Harlowton Harrison Havre Hays Heart Butte Helena Helmville Highwood Hinsdale Hobson Hot Springs Hysham Jackson Joliet Jordan Judith Gap Kalispell Kila Kinsey Lakeside Lambert Lame Deer Laurel Lavina Lewistown Libby Lima Lincoln Lindsay Livingston Lockwood Lodge Grass Lolo Loring Luther Malta Manhattan Marion McLeod Medicine Lake Melrose Melstone Melville Miles City Missoula Molt Moore Mosby Nashua Noxon Nye Opheim Ovando Pablo Park City Pendroy Philipsburg Plains Plentywood Plevna Polaris Polson Poplar Powderville Power Pray Pryor Ramsay Rapelje Red Lodge Reed Point Richey Roberts Ronan Rosebud Roundup Roy Rudyard Ryegate Saco Sand Coulee Sand Springs Savage Scobey Seeley Lake Shelby Shepherd Sheridan Sidney Simms Somers St Ignatius St Regis Stanford Stevensville Stockett Sun River Sunburst Superior Swan Lake Terry Thompson Falls Three Forks Townsend Trego Trout Creek Troy Turner Twin Bridges Ulm Valier Vaughn Victor Vida Volborg West Glacier West Yellowstone Westby White Sulphur Springs Whitefish Whitehall Whitewater Wibaux Willow Creek Wilsall Winifred Winnett Wisdom Wise River Wolf Creek Wolf Point Worden Wyola Zurich

Every Montana school district

Absarokee Elem Absarokee H S Alberton K-12 Schools Alder Elem Alzada Elem Amsterdam Elem Anaconda Elem Anaconda H S Anderson Elem Arlee Elem Arlee H S Arrowhead Elem Ashland Elem Auchard Creek Elem Augusta Elem Augusta H S Avon Elem Ayers Elem Bainville K-12 Schools Baker K-12 Schools Basin Elem Bear Paw Elem Beaverhead County H S Belfry K-12 Schools Belgrade Elem Belgrade H S Belt Elem Belt H S Benton Lake Elem Biddle Elem Big Sandy K-12 Big Sky School K-12 Big Timber Elem Bigfork Elem Bigfork H S Billings Elem Billings H S Birney Elem Bloomfield Elem Blue Creek Elem Bonner Elem Boulder Elem Box Elder Elem Box Elder H S Bozeman Elem Bozeman H S Bridger K-12 Schools Broadus Elem Broadview Elem Broadview H S Brockton Elem Brockton H S Brorson Elem Browning Elem Browning H S Butte Elem Butte H S Bynum Elem Canyon Creek Elem Cardwell Elem Carter County H S Carter Elem Cascade Elem Cascade H S Cayuse Prairie Elem Centerville Elem Centerville H S Charlo Elem Charlo H S Chester-Joplin-Inverness El Chester-Joplin-Inverness HS Chinook Elem Chinook H S Choteau Elem Choteau H S Circle Elem Circle H S Clancy Elem Cleveland Elem Clinton Elem Cohagen Elem Colstrip Elem Colstrip H S Columbia Falls Elem Columbia Falls H S Columbus Elem Columbus H S Conrad Elem Conrad H S Cooke City Elem Corvallis K-12 Schools Cottonwood Elem Cottonwood Elem Creston Elem Culbertson Elem Culbertson H S Custer County H S Custer K-12 Schools Cut Bank Elem Cut Bank H S Darby K-12 Schools Davey Elem Dawson H S DeSmet Elem Deer Creek Elem Deer Lodge Elem Deer Park Elem Deerfield Elem Denton Elem Denton H S Dept of Corrections-Youth Dillon Elem Divide Elem Dixon Elem Dodson K-12 Drummond Elem Drummond H S Dupuyer Elem Dutton/Brady K-12 Schools East Glacier Park Elem East Helena K-12 Ekalaka Elem Elder Grove Elem Elliston Elem Elysian Elem Ennis K-12 Schools Eureka Elem Evergreen Elem Fair-Mont-Egan Elem Fairfield Elem Fairfield H S Fairview Elem Fairview H S Fergus H S Fishtail Elem Flathead H S Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls Forsyth Elem Forsyth H S Fort Benton Elem Fort Benton H S Fortine Elem Frazer Elem Frazer H S Frenchtown K-12 Schools Froid Elem Froid H S Fromberg K-12 Frontier Elem Galata Elem Gallatin Gateway Elem Gardiner Elem Gardiner H S Garfield County H S Garrison Elem Geraldine K-12 Geyser K-12 Schools Gildford Colony Elem Glasgow K-12 Schools Glendive Elem Gold Creek Elem Golden Ridge Elem Grant Elem Grass Range Elem Grass Range H S Great Falls Elem Great Falls H S Greenfield Elem Greycliff Elem Hall Elem Hamilton K-12 Schools Hardin Elem Hardin H S Harlem Elem Harlem H S Harlowton K-12 Harrison K-12 Schools Havre Elem Havre H S Hawks Home Elem Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schls Heart Butte K-12 Schools Helena Elem Helena Flats Elem Helena H S Hellgate Elem Helmville Elem Highwood K-12 Hinsdale Elem Hinsdale H S Hobson K-12 Schools Hot Springs K-12 Huntley Project K-12 Schools Hysham K-12 Schools Independent Elem Jackson Elem Jefferson H S Joliet Elem Joliet H S Jordan Elem Judith Gap Elem Judith Gap H S Kalispell Elem Kester Elem Kila Elem King Colony Elem Kinsey Elem Kircher Elem Knees Elem LaMotte Elem Lambert Elem Lambert H S Lame Deer Elem Lame Deer H S Laurel Elem Laurel H S Lavina K-12 Schools Lewistown Elem Libby K-12 Schools Liberty Elem Lima K-12 Schools Lincoln County H S Lincoln K-12 Schools Lindsay Elem Livingston Elem Lockwood K-12 Lodge Grass Elem Lodge Grass H S Lolo Elem Lone Rock Elem Lustre Elem Luther Elem Malmborg Elem Malta K-12 Schools Manhattan High School Manhattan School Marion Elem McCormick Elem McLeod Elem Medicine Lake K-12 Schools Melrose Elem Melstone Elem Melstone H S Melville Elem Miami Elem Miles City Elem Missoula Elem Missoula H S Molt Elem Monforton Elem Mont Sch for Deaf Blind Montana City Elem Moore Elem Moore H S Morin Elem Mountain View Elem Nashua K-12 Schools North Harlem Colony Elem North Star Elem North Star HS Noxon Elem Noxon H S Nye Elem Olney-Bissell Elem Opheim K-12 Schools Ovando Elem Park City Elem Park City H S Park H S Pass Creek Elem Pendroy Elem Philipsburg K-12 Schools Pine Creek Elem Pine Grove Elem Pioneer Elem Plains K-12 Pleasant Valley Elem Plenty Coups H S Plentywood K-12 Schools Plevna K-12 Schools Polaris Elem Polson Elem Polson H S Poplar Elem Poplar H S Potomac Elem Powder River Co Dist H S Powell County H S Power Elem Power H S Pryor Elem Ramsay Elem Rapelje Elem Rapelje H S Rau Elem Red Lodge Elem Red Lodge H S Reed Point Elem Reed Point H S Reichle Elem Richey Elem Richey H S Roberts K-12 Schools Rocky Boy Elem Rocky Boy H S Ronan Elem Ronan H S Rosebud K-12 Ross Elem Roundup Elem Roundup High School Roy K-12 Schools Ryegate K-12 Schools S H Elem S Y Elem Saco Elem Saco H S Sand Springs Elem Savage Elem Savage H S Scobey K-12 Schools Seeley Lake Elem Shelby Elem Shelby H S Shepherd Elem Shepherd H S Sheridan Elem Sheridan H S Shields Valley Elem Shields Valley H S Sidney Elem Sidney H S Simms H S Smith Valley Elem Somers Elem South Stacey Elem Spring Creek Colony Elem Spring Creek Elem Spring Creek Elem Springhill Elem St Ignatius K-12 Schools St Regis K-12 Schools Stanford K-12 Schools Stevensville Elem Stevensville H S Sun River Valley Elem Sunburst K-12 Schools Sunset Elem Superior K-12 Schools Swan Lake-Salmon Elem Swan River Elem Swan Valley Elem Sweet Grass County H S Target Range Elem Terry K-12 Schools Thompson Falls Elem Thompson Falls H S Three Forks Elem Three Forks H S Townsend K-12 Schools Trail Creek Elem Trego Elem Trinity Elem Trout Creek Elem Troy Elem Troy H S Turner Elem Turner H S Twin Bridges K-12 Schools Ulm Elem Upper West Shore Elem Valier Elem Valier H S Valley View Elem Vaughn Elem Victor K-12 Schools Vida Elem West Glacier Elem West Valley Elem West Yellowstone K-12 Westby K-12 Schools White Sulphur Spgs K-12 Whitefish Elem Whitefish H S Whitehall Elem Whitehall H S Whitewater K-12 Schools Wibaux K-12 Schools Willow Creek Elem Willow Creek H S Winifred K-12 Schools Winnett K-12 Schools Wisdom Elem Wise River Elem Wolf Creek Elem Wolf Point Elem Wolf Point H S Woodman Elem Wyola Elem Yaak Elem Yellowstone Academy Elem Zurich Elem