Enrollment
691
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 300714000203
Columbia Falls High Schl — Columbia Falls, MT
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Falls High Schl, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 38
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 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: Columbia 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)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Falls High Schl 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
Columbia Falls High Schl reports 691 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 44.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% 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% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 8 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 346 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 43.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Columbia Falls H S spends $13,677 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.4% from local sources (property taxes), 41.4% from the state, and 16.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Columbia Falls High Schl 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 691 | top 97% | — | — |
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
15.6:1
students per teacher
— 29% above state mean
Top 79% in Montana — lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.6%
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
$13,677
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 346 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 691 Top 97% in Montana — larger than 3% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 44.0
Students per teacher 15.6:1 +29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300714000203
Student demographics
White 84.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Asian 0.3%
African American 0.1%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 346:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 43.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 40
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Falls H S, which includes Columbia Falls High Schl.
$13,677
Per student
-36%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 41.4%
Federal 16.2%
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.
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 Columbia Falls High Schl
How many students attend Columbia Falls High Schl?
Columbia Falls High Schl has 691 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia Falls, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Falls High Schl?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Falls High Schl is 15.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Falls High Schl?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Falls High Schl is White at 84.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Columbia Falls, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Falls High Schl?
Columbia Falls High Schl has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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.