Enrollment
1,412
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Great Falls, MT
C M Russell High School
Federal NCES profile for C M Russell High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 301305000379
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
C M Russell High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Great Falls · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Montana
- 1,412
- students enrolled
C M Russell High School has class sizes larger than 82% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, C M Russell High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Great Falls, MT.
School address
District: Great Falls H S · Montana
NCES ID 301305000379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How C M Russell High School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at C M Russell High School
C M Russell High School is a large high school in Great Falls, Montana, enrolling 1,412 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,412 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 282 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Great Falls H S spends $10,688 per pupil, 45% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Great Falls's high schools, it stands alongside Great Falls High School (1,548 students): C M Russell High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.7:1 vs 14.9:1).
Its district, Great Falls H S, also runs Great Falls High School (1,548 students).
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How C M Russell High School compares
C M Russell High School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 33% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,412 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,412
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 82% in Montana - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
63.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,688
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 282 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
115
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 77.8%
Two or More 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.1%
Asian 1.3%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.1, C M Russell High School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Great Falls H S, which includes C M Russell High School.
$10,688
Per student
-45%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.2%
State 45.1%
Federal 2.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How C M Russell High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to C M Russell High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high schools in Great Falls
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,412 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on C M Russell High School's federal record.
- Compare C M Russell High School against another school. Compare schools
- Great Falls H S's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about C M Russell High School
How many students attend C M Russell High School?
C M Russell High School has 1,412 students enrolled. It is a high school in Great Falls, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at C M Russell High School?
The student-teacher ratio at C M Russell High School is 15.7:1, which is 33% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of C M Russell High School?
The largest demographic group at C M Russell High School is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Great Falls, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for C M Russell High School?
C M Russell High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does C M Russell High School rank among high schools in Great Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, C M Russell High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Great Falls, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Great Falls on the city page.
Is C M Russell High School a good school?
C M Russell High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Great Falls H S?
Besides C M Russell High School, Great Falls H S also operates Great Falls High School (1,548 students). See the Great Falls H S district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.