Enrollment
42
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kalispell, MT
Smith Valley 7-8
Federal NCES profile for Smith Valley 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300285000101
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith Valley 7-8 earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Kalispell · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 42
- students enrolled
Smith Valley 7-8 has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Valley 7-8 ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Kalispell, MT.
School address
District: Smith Valley Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300285000101 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith Valley 7-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith Valley 7-8
Smith Valley 7-8 is a mid-sized middle school in Kalispell, Montana, enrolling 42 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 42 students, its enrollment sits close to the Montana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 826 Montana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Smith Valley Elem spends $11,142 per pupil, 42% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kalispell's middle schools, it stands alongside Kalispell Middle School (1,049 students): Smith Valley 7-8 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 14.6:1).
Its district, Smith Valley Elem, also runs Smith Valley Primary Schl (148 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 Smith Valley 7-8 compares
Smith Valley 7-8 on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 19% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 42 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
42
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 68% in Montana - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
69.0%
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
$11,142
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
Counselors0.1 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
- 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 78.6%
Two or More 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Largest group: White at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.2, Smith Valley 7-8 is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Smith Valley Elem, which includes Smith Valley 7-8.
$11,142
Per student
-42%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 51.6%
Federal 19.0%
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 Smith Valley 7-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Valley Primary Schl | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith Valley 7-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 148
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Kalispell
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Kalispell Middle School
Standard public school
1,049 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Cayuse Prairie 7-8
Standard public school
57 students 19:1 students per teacher
Fair-Mont-Egan Middle School
Standard public school
41 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Helena Flats 7-8
Standard public school
40 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~42 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith Valley 7-8's federal record.
- Compare Smith Valley 7-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Smith Valley 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 Smith Valley 7-8
How many students attend Smith Valley 7-8?
Smith Valley 7-8 has 42 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kalispell, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Valley 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith Valley 7-8 is 14:1, which is 19% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith Valley 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Smith Valley 7-8 is White at 78.6% of enrollment, in Kalispell, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith Valley 7-8?
Smith Valley 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Smith Valley 7-8 rank among middle schools in Kalispell?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Valley 7-8 ranks #4 of 5 middle 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 middle schools in Kalispell on the city page.
Is Smith Valley 7-8 a good school?
Smith Valley 7-8 earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. 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 Smith Valley Elem?
Besides Smith Valley 7-8, Smith Valley Elem also operates Smith Valley Primary Schl (148 students). See the Smith Valley 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.