Enrollment
1,412
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 301305000379
C M Russell High School — Great Falls, MT
Federal NCES profile for C M Russell High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 35
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Great Falls H S · Montana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
90.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How C M Russell High School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
C M Russell High School reports 1,412 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 90.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 34% above the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 2% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 7 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 282 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 63.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Great Falls H S spends $12,166 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 52.2% from local sources (property taxes), 45.1% from the state, and 2.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How C M Russell High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 34% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,412 | top 99% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
— 34% above state mean
Top 85% in Montana — lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
63.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,166
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 1,412 Top 99% in Montana — larger than 1% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 90.0
Students per teacher 16.2:1 +34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301305000379
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 5.0
Students per counselor 282:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 63.9%
In-school suspensions 115
Out-of-school suspensions 93
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Great Falls H S, which includes C M Russell High School.
$12,166
Per student
-44%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
Similar high schools in Great Falls
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 16.2:1, which is 34% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.