Enrollment
547
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 300711000195
Columbia Falls Jr Hs — Columbia Falls, MT
Federal NCES profile for Columbia Falls Jr Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 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 Elem · 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)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbia Falls Jr Hs 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 Jr Hs reports 547 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 37.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 17% 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 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 274 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 48.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Columbia Falls Elem spends $25,195 per pupil district-wide, above the Montana average of $21,538 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.9% from local sources (property taxes), 37.7% from the state, and 18.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Jr Hs 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 17% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 547 | top 95% | — | — |
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 17% above state mean
Top 65% in Montana — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
48.1%
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
$25,195
per pupil, district-wide
— above Montana avg of $21,538
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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
Enrollment 547 Top 95% in Montana — larger than 5% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 37.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 +17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300711000195
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 274:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 48.1%
In-school suspensions 42
Out-of-school suspensions 18
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Falls Elem, which includes Columbia Falls Jr Hs.
$25,195
Per student
+17%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
Similar middle schools in Columbia Falls
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) 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 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 14.2:1, which is 17% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.