Enrollment
344
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kalispell, MT
Lillian Peterson School
Federal NCES profile for Lillian Peterson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301545000474
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lillian Peterson School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Montana schools.
- #5 of 13
- schools in Kalispell · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 344
- students enrolled
Lillian Peterson School has class sizes larger than 92% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lillian Peterson School ranks #5 of 13 schools in Kalispell, MT.
School address
District: Kalispell Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301545000474 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lillian Peterson School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lillian Peterson School
Lillian Peterson School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kalispell, Montana, enrolling 344 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Montana schools and 46% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 344 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 172 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kalispell Elem spends $12,023 per pupil, 38% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.8% 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): Lillian Peterson School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 18.2:1).
Kalispell Elem also operates Kalispell Middle School (1,049 students) and Edgerton School (509 students) alongside Lillian Peterson School.
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 Lillian Peterson School compares
Lillian Peterson 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 46% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 344 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 92% in Montana - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$12,023
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 172 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
- 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 86.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.3, Lillian Peterson School is about as mixed as the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kalispell Elem, which includes Lillian Peterson School.
$12,023
Per student
-38%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Lillian Peterson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Edgerton School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cornelius Hedges School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elrod School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lillian Peterson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,049
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
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
Cornelius Hedges School
Standard public school
320 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Cayuse Prairie School
Standard public school
254 students 14.9:1 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 (~344 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lillian Peterson School's federal record.
- Compare Lillian Peterson School against another school. Compare schools
- Kalispell 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 Lillian Peterson School
How many students attend Lillian Peterson School?
Lillian Peterson School has 344 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lillian Peterson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lillian Peterson School is 17.2:1, which is 46% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lillian Peterson School?
The largest demographic group at Lillian Peterson School is White at 86.0% of enrollment, in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lillian Peterson School?
Lillian Peterson School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Lillian Peterson School rank among schools in Kalispell?
By Resource Investment Index, Lillian Peterson School ranks #5 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 Lillian Peterson School a good school?
Lillian Peterson School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Kalispell Elem?
Besides Lillian Peterson School, Kalispell Elem also operates Kalispell Middle School (1,049 students), Edgerton School (509 students), and Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc (415 students). See the Kalispell 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.