Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 4 schools in district

Fred W Graff School

417 East Sixth St, Laurel, MT 59044Laurel Elem →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 03–04Non-Charter
278
Students
Total enrolled
$13,113
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 9% vs nat'l
17.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 13% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 278 students in grades 03–04 in Laurel, Montana.
9% below average funding
District spends $13,113 per pupil, 9% less than the national average of $14,347.
17.4 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is near the national average of 15.4:1.
About This School

Fred W Graff School is a mid-sized elementary in Laurel, Montana, serving grades 03–04 with 278 students. The district invests $13,113 per student — 9% below the national average of $14,347, with a 17.4:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm.

Student Body & Demographics at Fred W Graff School

278
Total Students
17.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
—
Free Lunch
16
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (03–04) are served by this school
Gender Distribution137 male · 141 female
49%
51%
Male 49%Female 51%
Student Composition
87%
White87%
Hispanic / Latino5%
Black1%
Multiracial4%
Native American3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 301620000497

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$13,113Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$13,113
State avg
$23,403
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,770
Student Support$2,491
Administration$1,574
Operations$1,967
Other$1,311
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $13,113 spent per student, an estimated $5,809 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
40%
44%
State government
40.1%
Local (property tax)
43.6%
Federal programs
16.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
West SchoolSouth School
↓
Middle
Laurel Middle School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
Grades03 – 04
Location—
CountyYellowstone County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictLaurel Elem →
Phone: (406)628-6916
NCES ID: 301620000497
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Laurel seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Laurel Elem
Mid
Laurel Middle School
573 students · 05–08
Elem
West School
256 students · 01–02
Elem
South School
165 students · PK–KG
District School Rankings
Location
417 East Sixth St, Laurel, MT 59044
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.