Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 7 schools in district

Big Sky School

1657 Merriweather Road, Cut Bank, MT 59427Browning Elem →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–08Non-Charter
25
Students
Total enrolled
$25,505
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 78% vs nat'l
10.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 30% vs nat'l
32/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 35% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 25 students in grades PK–08 in Cut Bank, Montana.
78% above average funding
District spends $25,505 per pupil, 78% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 32th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Big Sky School is a small elementary in Cut Bank, Montana, serving grades PK–08 with 25 students. The district invests $25,505 per student — 78% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 10.7:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. A neighborhood opportunity score of 32/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Big Sky School

25
Total Students
10.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
—
Free Lunch
2
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–08) are served by this school
Gender Distribution14 male · 11 female
56%
44%
Male 56%Female 44%
Student Composition
100%
White100%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 300514000812

Academic Outcomes at Big Sky School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
32
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 32th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 4th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 59427

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$25,505Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$25,505
State avg
$23,403
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$11,222
Student Support$4,846
Administration$3,061
Operations$3,826
Other$2,550
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $25,505 spent per student, an estimated $11,299 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
27%
State government
26.6%
Local (property tax)
13.7%
Federal programs
59.7%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $25,505/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 10.7:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (32/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
KW-VC ElementaryBrowning ElementaryNapi SchoolBabb School
+1 more
↓
Middle
Browning Middle School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 08
Location—
CountyGlacier County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictBrowning Elem →
Phone: (406)336-3790
NCES ID: 300514000812
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Cut Bank seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Browning Elem
Mid
Browning Middle School
402 students · 06–08
● 32 opp
Elem
KW-VC Elementary
289 students · PK–01
● 32 opp
Elem
Browning Elementary
278 students · 02–03
● 32 opp
Elem
Napi School
233 students · 04–05
● 32 opp
Elem
Babb School
24 students · PK–06
● 32 opp
Elem
Glendale School
15 students · PK–08
● 32 opp
District School Rankings
Location
1657 Merriweather Road, Cut Bank, MT 59427
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.