Montana Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Montana reported 148,585 public school students and 821 public and state-funded schools in 2023–24. The state had 397 operating elementary, high school, and K–12 districts in FY2025.
Finance measures use the latest periods available through June 2026. Census data place FY2024 current spending at $13,656 per pupil, while Montana OPI reports a $1.385 billion adopted general fund budget for FY2026.
Montana Education Snapshot
School, enrollment, district, staffing, and finance measures come from separate official reporting systems.
FY2024 Current Spending per Pupil
Montana compared with the West region and nationwide weighted averages.
Montana’s $13,656 figure covers current operating spending. Capital outlay, debt service, inflation adjustments, and regional price adjustments are excluded.
Chart analysis
- Montana spent $13,656 per pupil in FY2024.
- The nationwide weighted average was $17,619.
- Montana was $3,963, or 22.5%, below the nationwide figure.
- The West region weighted average was $18,166.
- Montana was $4,510, or 24.8%, below the regional figure.
- Dollar values are nominal and do not measure differences in purchasing power.
Montana Public Education Indicator Table
Latest published value for each indicator as available through June 2026.
| Category | Indicator | Value | Unit | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | Public school enrollment | 148,585 | Students | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Enrollment | Private school enrollment | 8,584 | Students | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Enrollment | Homeschool enrollment | 8,524 | Students | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Enrollment | Total nonpublic enrollment | 17,108 | Students | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Schools | All public and state-funded schools | 821 | Schools | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Schools | Elementary schools | 426 | Schools | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Schools | Middle, grade 7–8, and junior high schools | 222 | Schools | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Schools | High schools | 173 | Schools | 2023–24 | Montana OPI |
| Districts | Operating elementary, high school, and K–12 districts | 397 | Districts | FY2025 | Montana OPI |
| Districts | Elementary districts | 234 | Districts | FY2025 | Montana OPI |
| Districts | High school districts | 99 | Districts | FY2025 | Montana OPI |
| Districts | K–12 districts | 64 | Districts | FY2025 | Montana OPI |
| Staffing | Classroom, Title I, and special education teachers | 10,862 | Staff | 2022–23 | Montana OPI |
| Staffing | Licensed staff and paraprofessionals | 16,007 | Staff | 2022–23 | Montana OPI |
| Staffing | Student–teacher ratio | 13.7:1 | Students per teacher | 2023 | NCES CCD |
| Spending | Montana current spending per pupil | $13,656 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Spending | West region current spending per pupil | $18,166 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Spending | U.S. current spending per pupil | $17,619 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Budget | Adopted district general fund budget | $1.385B | Nominal dollars | FY2026 | Montana OPI |
Table analysis
- Public enrollment totaled 148,585 in 2023–24.
- Private and homeschool enrollment combined totaled 17,108.
- Montana OPI reported 821 schools by school type.
- Elementary schools accounted for 426 of the statewide school count.
- Montana operated 397 elementary, high school, and K–12 districts in FY2025.
- Elementary districts represented 234 of those districts.
- The reported student–teacher ratio was 13.7 students per teacher in 2023.
- The FY2026 adopted general fund budget was $1.385 billion.
- Periods differ because enrollment, directory, staffing, and finance systems follow separate release schedules.
Enrollment, School Size, and Funding Structure
Historical enrollment and state finance tables provide context for the latest profile values.
Montana Public School Enrollment Trend
NCES state aggregate enrollment for selected fall years, 1990–2023.
The series uses NCES State Nonfiscal Survey counts. OPI enrollment totals may differ because reporting coverage and extraction dates are not identical.
| Fall year | Enrollment | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 152,974 | — | NCES CCD |
| 2000 | 154,875 | +1.2% | NCES CCD |
| 2011 | 142,349 | −8.1% | NCES CCD |
| 2012 | 142,908 | +0.4% | NCES CCD |
| 2013 | 144,129 | +0.9% | NCES CCD |
| 2014 | 144,532 | +0.3% | NCES CCD |
| 2015 | 145,319 | +0.5% | NCES CCD |
| 2016 | 146,375 | +0.7% | NCES CCD |
| 2017 | 149,474 | +2.1% | NCES CCD |
| 2018 | 148,844 | −0.4% | NCES CCD |
| 2019 | 149,917 | +0.7% | NCES CCD |
| 2020 | 146,252 | −2.4% | NCES CCD |
| 2021 | 150,195 | +2.7% | NCES CCD |
| 2022 | 150,733 | +0.4% | NCES CCD |
| 2023 | 149,291 | −1.0% | NCES CCD |
Trend analysis
- Enrollment reached the selected-series high of 154,875 in fall 2000.
- The selected-series low was 142,349 in fall 2011.
- Enrollment rose by 4.9% between fall 2011 and fall 2023.
- Fall 2020 enrollment declined by 2.4% from 2019.
- Enrollment rebounded by 2.7% in fall 2021.
- Fall 2023 enrollment was 1.0% below fall 2022.
- The fall 2023 count remained 2.4% below the fall 1990 count.
- Changes for 2000 and 2011 compare with the prior selected year rather than a one-year interval.
School Size Distribution
Montana OPI’s 2023–24 size table covers 820 schools and all 148,585 reported public school students.
| School size | Schools | School share | Enrollment | Enrollment share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 or more | 59 | 7.20% | 50,345 | 33.88% |
| 250–499 | 158 | 19.27% | 54,955 | 36.99% |
| 100–249 | 170 | 20.73% | 28,066 | 18.89% |
| 50–99 | 120 | 14.63% | 8,469 | 5.70% |
| Fewer than 50 | 313 | 38.17% | 6,750 | 4.54% |
| Total | 820 | 100.00% | 148,585 | 100.00% |
Table analysis
- 313 schools enrolled fewer than 50 students.
- Schools below 50 students represented 38.17% of schools but served 4.54% of students.
- The 250–499 band enrolled the largest number of students at 54,955.
- Schools with at least 250 students served 70.87% of statewide enrollment.
- Those two larger size bands represented 26.47% of schools.
- The size table covers 820 schools; the OPI school-type table separately reports 821 schools.
Funding Source Shares, FY2021–FY2025
Sources supporting statewide public school district expenditures.
The stacked values show each source as a percentage of statewide district expenditure funding. Federal relief funding affected the earlier years.
| Fiscal year | State | Local property tax | County | Local non-tax | Federal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | 40.63% | 28.99% | 8.35% | 2.98% | 19.05% |
| FY2022 | 39.69% | 27.87% | 7.87% | 3.45% | 21.12% |
| FY2023 | 40.30% | 27.82% | 7.99% | 5.25% | 18.64% |
| FY2024 | 39.41% | 28.32% | 8.20% | 6.04% | 18.03% |
| FY2025 | 42.84% | 28.92% | 8.50% | 6.44% | 13.30% |
Funding analysis
- State funding supplied the largest FY2025 share at 42.84%.
- Local property taxes supplied 28.92% in FY2025.
- Federal funding peaked at 21.12% in FY2022.
- The federal share fell by 7.82 percentage points between FY2022 and FY2025.
- The state share rose by 3.15 percentage points over the same interval.
- Local non-tax revenue rose from 3.45% to 6.44%.
District General Fund Budgets
Adopted general fund budgets and their broad revenue components, FY2022–FY2026.
| Fiscal year | Total budget | State amount | State share | Local amount | Local share | Other amount | Other share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2022 | $1.196B | $832.5M | 69.6% | $348.6M | 29.2% | $14.6M | 1.2% |
| FY2023 | $1.234B | $870.4M | 70.5% | $350.2M | 28.4% | $13.4M | 1.1% |
| FY2024 | $1.264B | $873.6M | 69% | $369.7M | 29% | $20.9M | 2% |
| FY2025 | $1.298B | $922.0M | 71% | $351.2M | 27% | $22.4M | 2% |
| FY2026 | $1.385B | $1.000B | 73% | $346.0M | 25% | $32.2M | 2% |
Budget analysis
- The adopted general fund budget rose from $1.196 billion in FY2022 to $1.385 billion in FY2026.
- The four-year nominal increase was 15.8%.
- The FY2026 budget was 6.7% above FY2025.
- State revenue reached approximately $1.0 billion in FY2026.
- The state share increased from 69.6% in FY2022 to 73% in FY2026.
- The local share declined from 29.2% to 25% over the same period.
- Component amounts and shares are rounded in the source and may not reproduce totals exactly.
What the Montana Data Shows
The measures describe system scale, distribution, staffing, and reported finance levels.
Small-School Structure
Schools enrolling fewer than 50 students form the largest size band by school count. They serve a much smaller share of statewide enrollment.
Enrollment Movement
NCES enrollment recovered after the fall 2020 decline, reached 150,733 in fall 2022, and decreased to 149,291 in fall 2023.
Funding Mix
The federal share declined after FY2022 while the state share reached 42.84% of statewide district expenditure funding in FY2025.
Different Finance Measures
Census current spending per pupil and the OPI general fund budget measure different scopes. They should not be treated as interchangeable totals.
Source and Methodology
Schools and Enrollment
Montana Office of Public Instruction, Facts About Montana Education 2024. School and enrollment values are for 2023–24 unless another period is shown.
Districts and Budgets
Montana Office of Public Instruction, Understanding Montana School Finance FY2026.
Enrollment Trend
National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Digest of Education Statistics table 203.20.
Current Spending
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Regional Benchmark
U.S. Census Bureau, FY2024 current spending per pupil by region.
Coverage and Units
Enrollment values are student counts. Spending is nominal dollars per pupil. Budget totals are adopted general fund amounts reported in nominal dollars.
The 2026 title identifies the publication edition. It does not imply that every indicator measures calendar year 2026. School, enrollment, staffing, district, budget, and expenditure records are labeled with their actual academic or fiscal periods. Percent changes were calculated from unrounded source values when those values were available. Displayed finance components may differ slightly from totals because the source rounds amounts and shares.
Census current spending excludes capital outlay, debt service, and non-elementary-secondary programs. Values are not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences. OPI’s general fund budget covers a narrower state-defined budget category. Enrollment totals from OPI and NCES may differ because their reporting systems, inclusion rules, and extraction dates differ. Spending levels alone do not measure school quality or student outcomes.