Enrollment
421
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Great Falls, MT
West Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301304000881
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #14 of 17
- schools in Great Falls · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- large classes for Montana
- 421
- students enrolled
West Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #14 of 17 schools in Great Falls, MT.
School address
District: Great Falls Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301304000881 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary
West Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Great Falls, Montana, enrolling 421 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 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 90% of state schools at 421 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Two or More (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 421 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Great Falls Elem spends $12,418 per pupil, 36% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Great Falls's public schools, it stands alongside Meadow Lark School (527 students): West Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 22:1).
Great Falls Elem also operates East Middle School (764 students) and North Middle School (764 students) alongside West Elementary.
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 West Elementary compares
West Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 72% in Montana - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.9%
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
$12,418
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 421 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 70.3%
Two or More 13.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, West Elementary is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Great Falls Elem, which includes West Elementary.
$12,418
Per student
-36%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.9%
State 38.7%
Federal 27.4%
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 West Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadow Lark School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverview School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Giant Springs Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 527
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar other schools in Great Falls
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadow Lark School
Standard public school
527 students 22:1 students per teacher
Riverview School
Standard public school
445 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Giant Springs Elementary
Standard public school
431 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Sacajawea School
Standard public school
405 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Sunnyside School
Standard public school
396 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Loy School
Standard public school
392 students 16.3:1 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 (~421 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Great Falls 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 West Elementary
How many students attend West Elementary?
West Elementary has 421 students enrolled. It is a public school in Great Falls, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary is 14.5:1, which is 23% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Great Falls, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary?
West Elementary 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 West Elementary rank among schools in Great Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #14 of 17 schools in Great Falls, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Great Falls on the city page.
Is West Elementary a good school?
West Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Great Falls Elem?
Besides West Elementary, Great Falls Elem also operates East Middle School (764 students), North Middle School (764 students), and Meadow Lark School (527 students). See the Great Falls 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.