Enrollment
661
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whitefish, MT
L a Muldown School
Federal NCES profile for L a Muldown School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 302774000773
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
L a Muldown School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Whitefish · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 661
- students enrolled
L a Muldown School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, L a Muldown School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Whitefish, MT.
School address
District: Whitefish Elem · Montana
NCES ID 302774000773 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How L a Muldown School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at L a Muldown School
L a Muldown School is a large combined-grade school in Whitefish, Montana, enrolling 661 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.5:1 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 96% of state schools at 661 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 331 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Whitefish Elem spends $12,144 per pupil, 37% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Whitefish's public schools, it stands alongside Bissell School (78 students): L a Muldown School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.5:1 vs 13:1).
Its district, Whitefish Elem, also runs Whitefish Middle 5-8 (657 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 L a Muldown School compares
L a Muldown 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 | 13.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 661 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
661
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 62% in Montana - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$12,144
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 331 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.0, L a Muldown School is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whitefish Elem, which includes L a Muldown School.
$12,144
Per student
-37%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.2%
State 30.7%
Federal 11.1%
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 L a Muldown School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish Middle 5-8 | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to L a Muldown School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Whitefish
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~661 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on L a Muldown School's federal record.
- Compare L a Muldown School against another school. Compare schools
- Whitefish 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 L a Muldown School
How many students attend L a Muldown School?
L a Muldown School has 661 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whitefish, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at L a Muldown School?
The student-teacher ratio at L a Muldown School is 13.5:1, which is 14% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of L a Muldown School?
The largest demographic group at L a Muldown School is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Whitefish, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for L a Muldown School?
L a Muldown School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 L a Muldown School rank among public schools in Whitefish?
By Resource Investment Index, L a Muldown School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Whitefish, 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 Whitefish on the city page.
Is L a Muldown School a good school?
L a Muldown School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. 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 Whitefish Elem?
Besides L a Muldown School, Whitefish Elem also operates Whitefish Middle 5-8 (657 students). See the Whitefish 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.