Enrollment
57
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kalispell, MT
Cayuse Prairie 7-8
Federal NCES profile for Cayuse Prairie 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300599000963
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Kalispell · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19:1
- large classes for Montana
- 57
- students enrolled
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 has class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cayuse Prairie 7-8 ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Kalispell, MT.
School address
District: Cayuse Prairie Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300599000963 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cayuse Prairie 7-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cayuse Prairie 7-8
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 is a mid-sized middle school in Kalispell, Montana, enrolling 57 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 96% of Montana schools and 61% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 57 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 114 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cayuse Prairie Elem spends $11,681 per pupil, 39% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kalispell's middle schools, it stands alongside Kalispell Middle School (1,049 students): Cayuse Prairie 7-8 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19:1 vs 14.6:1).
Its district, Cayuse Prairie Elem, also runs Cayuse Prairie School (254 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 Cayuse Prairie 7-8 compares
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 61% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 57 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
57
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 61% above state mean
Top 96% in Montana - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$11,681
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 86.0%
Two or More 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: White at 86.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.2, Cayuse Prairie 7-8 is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cayuse Prairie Elem, which includes Cayuse Prairie 7-8.
$11,681
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 43.3%
Federal 20.0%
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 Cayuse Prairie 7-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuse Prairie School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cayuse Prairie 7-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Kalispell
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Kalispell Middle School
Standard public school
1,049 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Smith Valley 7-8
Standard public school
42 students 14:1 students per teacher
Fair-Mont-Egan Middle School
Standard public school
41 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Helena Flats 7-8
Standard public school
40 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~57 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cayuse Prairie 7-8's federal record.
- Compare Cayuse Prairie 7-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Cayuse Prairie Elem'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 Cayuse Prairie 7-8
How many students attend Cayuse Prairie 7-8?
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 has 57 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cayuse Prairie 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Cayuse Prairie 7-8 is 19:1, which is 61% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cayuse Prairie 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Cayuse Prairie 7-8 is White at 86.0% of enrollment, in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cayuse Prairie 7-8?
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cayuse Prairie 7-8 rank among middle schools in Kalispell?
By Resource Investment Index, Cayuse Prairie 7-8 ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Kalispell, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Kalispell on the city page.
Is Cayuse Prairie 7-8 a good school?
Cayuse Prairie 7-8 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools. 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 Cayuse Prairie Elem?
Besides Cayuse Prairie 7-8, Cayuse Prairie Elem also operates Cayuse Prairie School (254 students). See the Cayuse Prairie Elem 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.