Enrollment
547
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia Falls, MT
Columbia Falls Jr Hs
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Falls Jr Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300711000195
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbia Falls Jr Hs earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Columbia Falls · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Montana
- 547
- students enrolled
Columbia Falls Jr Hs has class sizes larger than 75% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Falls Jr Hs ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Columbia Falls, MT.
School address
District: Columbia Falls Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300711000195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Falls Jr Hs compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbia Falls Jr Hs
Columbia Falls Jr Hs is a large middle school in Columbia Falls, Montana, enrolling 547 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 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 95% of state schools at 547 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Columbia Falls Elem spends $11,667 per pupil, 39% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbia Falls's middle schools, it stands alongside Deer Park 6-8 (48 students): Columbia Falls Jr Hs is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 12:1).
Columbia Falls Elem also operates Ruder Elementary (487 students) and Glacier Gateway Elem (471 students) alongside Columbia Falls Jr Hs.
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 Columbia Falls Jr Hs compares
Columbia Falls Jr Hs on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 547 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
547
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 75% in Montana - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$11,667
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 86.1%
Two or More 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.1, Columbia Falls Jr Hs is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Falls Elem, which includes Columbia Falls Jr Hs.
$11,667
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.9%
State 37.7%
Federal 18.3%
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 Columbia Falls Jr Hs Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruder Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glacier Gateway Elem | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbia Falls Jr Hs's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Columbia Falls
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~547 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbia Falls Jr Hs's federal record.
- Compare Columbia Falls Jr Hs against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia Falls 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 Columbia Falls Jr Hs
How many students attend Columbia Falls Jr Hs?
Columbia Falls Jr Hs has 547 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia Falls, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbia Falls Jr Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbia Falls Jr Hs is 14.8:1, which is 25% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbia Falls Jr Hs?
The largest demographic group at Columbia Falls Jr Hs is White at 86.1% of enrollment, in Columbia Falls, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbia Falls Jr Hs?
Columbia Falls Jr Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Columbia Falls Jr Hs rank among public schools in Columbia Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbia Falls Jr Hs ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Columbia Falls, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbia Falls on the city page.
Is Columbia Falls Jr Hs a good school?
Columbia Falls Jr Hs earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Columbia Falls Elem?
Besides Columbia Falls Jr Hs, Columbia Falls Elem also operates Ruder Elementary (487 students) and Glacier Gateway Elem (471 students). See the Columbia Falls 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.