County directory · Montana · 2026–27
School districts in Lake County, MT
Lake County has 12 regular public school districts, enrolling 4,166 students in 2024–25. The largest is Polson Elem (1,075 students, 26% of the county), followed by Ronan Elem and Polson H S. 8 of the 12 offer kindergarten. Montana's kindergarten cutoff: turn 5 by September 10.
The 12 districts, largest first
| District and office | Grades | Schools | Students | Kindergarten | District office contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polson Elem 111 4th Avenue East, Polson | Pre-K–8 | 3 | 1,075 | 91 | (406) 883-6355 |
| Ronan Elem 421 Andrew Street NW, Ronan | Pre-K–8 | 4 | 1,039 | 90 | (406) 676-3390 |
| Polson H S 111 4th Avenue East, Polson | 9–12 | 1 | 517 | — | (406) 883-6355 |
| St Ignatius K-12 Schools 75 3rd Avenue, St Ignatius | Pre-K–12 | 3 | 459 | 26 | (406) 745-3811 |
| Ronan H S 421 Andrew Street NW, Ronan | 9–12 | 2 | 376 | — | (406) 676-3390 |
| Arlee Elem 72220 Fyant Street, Arlee also serves Missoula County and Sanders County | Pre-K–8 | 2 | 263 | 31 | (406) 726-3216 |
| Charlo Elem 404 1st Ave West, Charlo | Pre-K–8 | 2 | 137 | 17 | (406) 644-2206 |
| Arlee H S 72220 Fyant Street, Arlee also serves Missoula County and Sanders County | 9–12 | 1 | 135 | — | (406) 726-3216 |
| Charlo H S 404 1st Ave West, Charlo also serves Sanders County | 9–12 | 1 | 80 | — | (406) 644-2206 |
| Upper West Shore Elem 506 B Street, Dayton | Pre-K–6 | 1 | 46 | 8 | (406) 849-5240 |
| Valley View Elem 42448 Valley View Road, Polson | Pre-K–6 | 1 | 35 | 5 | (406) 883-7262 |
| Swan Lake-Salmon Elem 23187 Hwy 83, Swan Lake | Pre-K–8 | 1 | 4 | 0 | (406) 886-2374 |
Lake County at a glance
Together the 12 districts run 22 schools from offices in 7 towns. The smallest by enrollment is Swan Lake-Salmon Elem, with 4 students; the median Lake County district has 137. By grade span: 5 Pre-K–8, 4 9–12, 2 Pre-K–6 and 1 Pre-K–12. Without kindergarten: Polson H S (9–12), Ronan H S (9–12), Arlee H S (9–12) and Charlo H S (9–12).
Kindergarten in 2024–25, counting the 7 districts that report a K grade: 268 children. The biggest kindergarten was Polson Elem's, with 91; Ronan Elem had 90, and the smallest, Valley View Elem, had 5.
Lake County holds 12 of Montana's 389 regular districts (3.1%) and 2.8% of its 146,849 public school students, ranking 6th of 56 counties by number of districts and 9th by enrollment. By size, 2 enroll 1,000 to 4,999 and 10 have fewer than 1,000 students, and the average school here has about 189 students.
3 districts reach past the county line: Arlee Elem (into Missoula County and Sanders County), Arlee H S (into Missoula County and Sanders County) and Charlo H S (into Sanders County).
Which district am I in?
Each district draws its own attendance zones, so your home address decides it, and with 3 of Lake County's districts crossing county lines the county alone won't. There is no address lookup here; ask the district. Each one's own site:
Polson Elem · Ronan Elem · Polson H S · St Ignatius K-12 Schools · Ronan H S · Arlee Elem · Charlo Elem · Arlee H S · Charlo H S · Upper West Shore Elem · Valley View Elem · Swan Lake-Salmon Elem
What grade will my child be in?
More in Montana
Every Montana district by county · Montana kindergarten cutoff
More Montana county directories: Blaine County (11) · Cascade County (12) · Fergus County (14) · Hill County (11) · Roosevelt County (12) · Yellowstone County (18)