Public schools in Missoula, MT
25 open public schools with an address in Missoula, operated by 5 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
25
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
11,283
25 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.2:1
Montana median 11.8:1
Charter schools
0
1 virtual
An overview of Missoula public schools
The federal directory lists 25 public schools in Missoula, MT: 14 elementary, 7 middle, 4 high. The 25 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 11,283 students, an average of 451 per school. The largest campus is Sentinel High School (1,365 students), and the largest elementary school is Jeannette Rankin El (457).
Missoula Elem operates the most schools here (13), and 5 regular districts have at least one Missoula campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.2:1, higher than the statewide school median of 11.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 41% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Missoula
Elementary schools in Missoula
14| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Charlo School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 414 | 15.7:1 | |
| DeSmet School DeSmet Elem | PK–05 | 90 | 12.2:1 | |
| Franklin School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 274 | 11.9:1 | |
| Hawthorne School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 417 | 14.2:1 | |
| Hellgate El Primary Grades Hellgate Elem | PK–01 | 316 | 12.9:1 | |
| Hellgate Elem Lower Grades Hellgate Elem | 02–03 | 305 | 15:1 | |
| Jeannette Rankin El Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 457 | 17.6:1 | |
| Lewis & Clark School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 429 | 15.2:1 | |
| Lowell School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 354 | 14.8:1 | |
| Missoula TEACH Academy Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 84 | 16.8:1 | |
| Paxson School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 415 | 16.1:1 | |
| Rattlesnake Elementary School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 393 | 15.8:1 | |
| Russell School Missoula Elem | PK–05 | 375 | 13.5:1 | |
| Target Range School Target Range Elem | PK–06 | 410 | 15.3:1 |
Middle schools in Missoula
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeSmet 6-8 DeSmet Elem | 06–08 | 37 | 10.9:1 | |
| Hellgate El Intermediate Hellgate Elem | 04–06 | 517 | 18.9:1 | |
| Hellgate Middle School Hellgate Elem | 07–08 | 326 | 14.9:1 | |
| Meadow Hill Middle School Missoula Elem | 06–08 | 414 | 15.1:1 | |
| Porter Middle School Missoula Elem | 06–08 | 579 | 15.5:1 | |
| Target Range 7-8 Target Range Elem | 07–08 | 134 | 17.3:1 | |
| Washington Middle School Missoula Elem | 06–08 | 669 | 16.4:1 |
High schools in Missoula
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sky High School Missoula H S | 09–12 | 1,148 | 15:1 | |
| Hellgate High School Missoula H S | 09–12 | 1,262 | 14.4:1 | |
| Missoula Connect Academy HS Missoula H S · Virtual | 09–12 | 99 | 24.8:1 | |
| Sentinel High School Missoula H S | 09–12 | 1,365 | 16.5:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White82.5%
- Hispanic5.3%
- Black1.7%
- Asian2%
- American Indian / Alaska Native4.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial3.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 25 Missoula schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (11,283 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Missoula
How many public schools are in Missoula, MT?
The current NCES directory lists 25 open public schools with a location address in Missoula: 14 elementary, 7 middle, 4 high. Together they reported 11,283 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Missoula?
Schools with an address in Missoula belong to 5 education agencies, led by Missoula Elem (13 schools), Hellgate Elem (4 schools), Missoula H S (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Missoula?
Sentinel High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Missoula, with 1,365 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Missoula?
No school with an address in Missoula is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Montana.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Missoula schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Missoula public schools is 15.2:1, higher than the Montana school median of 11.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Missoula guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Montana cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Montana cities