Enrollment
253
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kalispell, MT
Helena Flats School
Federal NCES profile for Helena Flats School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 17/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301380000426
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helena Flats School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools.
- #12 of 13
- schools in Kalispell · Resource Index
- 17
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Montana
- 253
- students enrolled
Helena Flats School has class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helena Flats School ranks #12 of 13 schools in Kalispell, MT.
School address
District: Helena Flats Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301380000426 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helena Flats School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helena Flats School
Helena Flats School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kalispell, Montana, enrolling 253 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 97% of Montana schools and 65% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 253 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 506 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Helena Flats Elem spends $8,793 per pupil, 54% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kalispell's public schools, it stands alongside Edgerton School (509 students): Helena Flats School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 18.2:1).
Its district, Helena Flats Elem, also runs Helena Flats 7-8 (40 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 Helena Flats School compares
Helena Flats School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 65% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 253 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
253
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 65% above state mean
Top 97% in Montana - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$8,793
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
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 94.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Asian 1.6%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 94.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.3, Helena Flats School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Helena Flats Elem, which includes Helena Flats School.
$8,793
Per student
-54%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 54.1%
Federal 17.8%
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 Helena Flats School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Flats 7-8 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helena Flats School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 40
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Kalispell
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Edgerton School
Standard public school
509 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
West Valley School
Standard public school
434 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc
Standard public school
415 students 16:1 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 17.2:1 students per teacher
Cornelius Hedges School
Standard public school
320 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~253 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helena Flats School's federal record.
- Compare Helena Flats School against another school. Compare schools
- Helena Flats 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 Helena Flats School
How many students attend Helena Flats School?
Helena Flats School has 253 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helena Flats School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helena Flats School is 19.5:1, which is 65% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helena Flats School?
The largest demographic group at Helena Flats School is White at 94.1% of enrollment, in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helena Flats School?
Helena Flats School has a Resource Investment Index of 17/100 (lower 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 Helena Flats School rank among schools in Kalispell?
By Resource Investment Index, Helena Flats School ranks #12 of 13 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 schools in Kalispell on the city page.
Is Helena Flats School a good school?
Helena Flats School earns 17/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Helena Flats Elem?
Besides Helena Flats School, Helena Flats Elem also operates Helena Flats 7-8 (40 students). See the Helena Flats 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.