Enrollment
83
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300771000221
Creston School — Kalispell, MT
Federal NCES profile for Creston School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 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: Creston 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)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Creston 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
Creston School reports 83 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% 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 24% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 51.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Creston Elem spends $10,129 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 39.2% from local sources (property taxes), 46.2% from the state, and 14.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Creston 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 0% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 83 | top 50% | — | — |
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
12.1:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 47% in Montana — lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
51.8%
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
$10,129
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 83 Top 50% in Montana — larger than 50% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 12.1:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300771000221
Student demographics
White 79.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 1.2%
Largest group: White at 79.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 51.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Creston Elem, which includes Creston School.
$10,129
Per student
-53%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-48%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 46.2%
Federal 14.6%
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.
Similar other schools in Kalispell
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Edgerton School
Standard public school
509 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
West Valley School
Standard public school
434 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc
Standard public school
415 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
East Evergreen School
Standard public school
360 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Lillian Peterson School
Standard public school
344 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Cornelius Hedges School
Standard public school
320 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
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 Creston School
How many students attend Creston School?
Creston School has 83 students enrolled. It is a other school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Creston School?
The student-teacher ratio at Creston School is 12.1:1, which is 0% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Creston School?
The largest demographic group at Creston School is White at 79.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Creston School?
Creston School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.