Public schools in Columbia Falls, MT
Columbia Falls has 6 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 1 high, 2 middle, 3 elementary, enrolling 2,364 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Columbia Falls Elementary runs 3 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Columbia Falls's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Columbia Falls | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls Elementary | 3 | 1,562 | $11,977 |
| Deer Park Elementary | 2 | 199 | $7,849 |
| Columbia Falls High School | 1 | 687 | $13,421 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
One high school in Columbia Falls, 691 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls High Schl | 691 | 15.3 | 91.8% | Columbia Falls High School |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 middle schools in Columbia Falls, 595 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls Junior High School | 547 | 15.0 | 90.5% | Columbia Falls Elementary |
| Deer Park 6-8 | 48 | 12.3 | 20.8% | Deer Park Elementary |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 elementary schools in Columbia Falls, 1,078 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruder Elementary | 487 | 14.3 | 91.6% | Columbia Falls Elementary |
| Glacier Gateway Elementary | 471 | 14.5 | 91.5% | Columbia Falls Elementary |
| Deer Park School | 120 | 13.5 | 27.5% | Deer Park Elementary |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Columbia Falls's public schools compare with Montana's
The median Columbia Falls school has 14.4 students per full-time teacher, more than the Montana median of 11.9. 67% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 36% across the state. Its median school enrolls 479 students (state 84).
| Columbia Falls | Montana | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.4 | 11.9 |
| Median school size (students) | 479 | 84 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 67% | 36% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 67% | 29% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 0% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 6 Columbia Falls schools and the 818 Montana schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Columbia Falls
- Columbia Falls ElementaryRuns 3 of Columbia Falls's 6 public schools and spent $11,977 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,977
- Columbia Falls High Schl, the largest high school in Columbia Falls691 students in 2024-25, 15.3 per teacher.691
- Compare Columbia Falls Elementary with Deer Park ElementaryColumbia Falls's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in MontanaMontana's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Columbia Falls addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Montana
- Billings42 schools
- Missoula23 schools
- Kalispell22 schools
- Bozeman21 schools
- Great Falls21 schools
- Helena15 schools
- Cut Bank11 schools
- Miles City11 schools
Questions about schools in Columbia Falls
How many public schools are in Columbia Falls, MT?
6 public schools with an address in Columbia Falls were open in 2024-25: 1 high, 2 middle, 3 elementary, enrolling 2,364 students.What is the largest high school in Columbia Falls?
Columbia Falls High Schl, with 691 students in 2024-25 (Columbia Falls High School).Which districts run Columbia Falls's schools?
Columbia Falls Elementary (3 schools), Deer Park Elementary (2 schools), Columbia Falls High School (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25