Enrollment
1,049
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 301545000086
Kalispell Middle School — Kalispell, MT
Federal NCES profile for Kalispell Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 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: Kalispell 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)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kalispell Middle 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
Kalispell Middle School reports 1,049 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 72.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 350 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Kalispell Elem spends $13,273 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 41.8% from local sources (property taxes), 38.3% from the state, and 19.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F), 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 Kalispell Middle 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 20% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,049 | top 98% | — | — |
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
14.5:1
students per teacher
— 20% above state mean
Top 69% in Montana — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.6%
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
$13,273
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 350 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
70
in-school suspensions + 117 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,049 Top 98% in Montana — larger than 2% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 72.0
Students per teacher 14.5:1 +20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 301545000086
Student demographics
White 86.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 86.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 350:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.6%
In-school suspensions 70
Out-of-school suspensions 117
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalispell Elem, which includes Kalispell Middle School.
$13,273
Per student
-38%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 38.3%
Federal 19.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
Similar middle schools in Kalispell
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Cayuse Prairie 7-8
Standard public school
57 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Smith Valley 7-8
Standard public school
42 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Fair-Mont-Egan Middle School
Standard public school
41 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Helena Flats 7-8
Standard public school
40 students 17:1 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 Kalispell Middle School
How many students attend Kalispell Middle School?
Kalispell Middle School has 1,049 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kalispell Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kalispell Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 20% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kalispell Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Kalispell Middle School is White at 86.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kalispell Middle School?
Kalispell Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) 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.