Columbia Falls Elementary
Public school district · Flathead County · Montana · NCES district ID 3007110
Columbia Falls Elementary spent $11,977 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 62% of the other Montana districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,120). Its 3 schools enrolled 1,505 students in 2024-25; 38.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,401 per student, up 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Montana districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Columbia Falls Elementary in enrollment (1,272 to 1,718 students) and Columbia Falls Elementary itself.
Where the money came from
$22,761,000 in revenue: 38.8% state, 48.1% local and 13.1% federal. Total spending including $11,254,000 of capital outlay was $31,556,000, or $20,202 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$8,823,000 39%
- Local$10,948,000 48%
- Federal$2,990,000 13%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 30 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
1,562 students in 2022-23, 1,585 students in 2023-24, 1,505 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,562 | 106.6 | 14.7 |
| 2023-24 | 1,585 | 107.1 | 14.8 |
| 2024-25 | 1,505 | 103.1 | 14.6 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$6,656,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,261 per student
Columbia Falls Elementary booked $6,656,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 107 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $62,457 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 78 in 100 Montana districts with a figure (state median $53,321, 282 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $6,086,000 | 91.4% |
| Special education | $570,000 | 8.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,028 in 2018-19, $4,097 in 2019-20, $4,522 in 2020-21, $4,213 in 2021-22, $4,261 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Columbia Falls Elementary scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 31% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Montana, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Montana | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 47% | 45.7% | 1,028 |
| Math | 31% | 35.2% | 1,027 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
2 elementary schools, 958 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruder Elementary | 487 | 14.3 | 91.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Glacier Gateway Elementary | 471 | 14.5 | 91.5% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 547 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Falls Junior High School | 547 | 15.0 | 90.5% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Columbia Falls Elementary
- Website: cfmtschools.net
- Phone: (406) 892-6550
- Office: 501 6th Ave West, Columbia Falls, MT 59912
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Columbia Falls Elementary
- Montana districts by spending per studentColumbia Falls Elementary ranks 19 of 30 Montana districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,977).#19 of 30
- Every school district in MontanaColumbia Falls Elementary is the number 18 by size of 398 Montana districts, with 1,562 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#18 of 398
- Hamilton School District #3The next larger Montana district: 1,666 students in fall 2022, $11,260 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,260
- Hellgate Elementary School DistrictThe next smaller Montana district: 1,498 students in fall 2022, $11,166 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,166
- Compare Columbia Falls Elementary with Hamilton School District #3Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Teacher salary spending across MontanaColumbia Falls Elementary spent $62,457 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$62,457
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Columbia Falls Elementary
How many schools and students are in Columbia Falls Elementary?
3 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle), enrolling 1,505 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Columbia Falls Elementary spend per student?
$11,977 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Montana median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,120 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,401 per student, up 3.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Columbia Falls Elementary's money come from?
$22,761,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 38.8% state, 48.1% local and 13.1% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Columbia Falls Elementary live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 145 of the 1,853 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Columbia Falls Elementary spend on teacher salaries?
$6,656,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,261 per student. Divided by the 107 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $62,457 per teacher, more than 78 in 100 Montana districts (state median $53,321). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Columbia Falls Elementary do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Columbia Falls Elementary scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 31% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Montana's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is Columbia Falls Elementary's NCES district ID?
3007110. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25