Kids Count criticized the state for not funding preschool, saying that the rising graduation rate is “tempered by low-to-non-existing investment in high-quality early childhood education.” Montana is one of eight states that does not fund preschool.

"One of the things the Casey Foundation promotes is opportunities, and help enabling families to help themselves," Dillon said.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY: 19th to 15th

Montana’s highest ranking is in "family and community," at 15th nationwide.

The teen birth rate is down, from 39 per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19 in 2008 to 26 per 1,000 in 2014. Kids Count also tracked the education of households, noting that in 2014, 7 percent of children lived in households in which the head of house didn’t have a high school diploma. That’s down from 9 percent in 2008.

"I think it's heartening, it's good to see that we're making improvements in areas around graduation and teen pregnancy and lowering our drinking," said Missoula County Public Schools student wellness coordinator Carol Ewen. "But it's also kind of sad because our poverty rate is staying the same. The reason we bumped up is because other states have fallen lower."

Community is key for Ewen.