Prickly Pear Coop

Located at 2525 Lake Helena Drive in East Helena, Montana, Prickly Pear Coop functions as an open, active educational service agency within the greater Helena metropolitan area. Nestled in a small suburban setting, this cooperative is structured to deliver specialized assistance and administrative resources across neighboring educational systems rather than acting as a traditional public school district. As a dedicated service agency, it does not manage standard operational schools or offer direct grade-level instruction from pre-kindergarten through high school. Instead, it serves as a central hub designed to extend collaborative expertise, programs, and infrastructure to the broader public education community.

The cooperative’s staffing model directly reflects its specialized support mission within the 2024–2025 academic year framework. Prickly Pear Coop operates with a total workforce of roughly 37 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members, heavily tailored toward specialized district-level assistance. The vast majority of its team consists of specialized support staff—accounting for over 34 FTE positions—complemented by 2 FTE teachers and a minor instructional aide presence (0.7 FTE). For parents, students, and educational researchers, Prickly Pear Coop represents an essential regional mechanism, demonstrating how dedicated service agencies deploy specialized personnel to strengthen public education outcomes across Montana’s suburban and rural communities.