Enrollment
657
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Whitefish, MT
Whitefish Middle 5-8
Federal NCES profile for Whitefish Middle 5-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 302774000830
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitefish Middle 5-8 earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Whitefish · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Montana
- 657
- students enrolled
Whitefish Middle 5-8 has class sizes larger than 81% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitefish Middle 5-8 ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Whitefish, MT.
School address
District: Whitefish Elem · Montana
NCES ID 302774000830 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitefish Middle 5-8 compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitefish Middle 5-8
Whitefish Middle 5-8 is a large elementary school in Whitefish, Montana, enrolling 657 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 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 657 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 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 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% 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.
Its district, Whitefish Elem, also runs L a Muldown School (661 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 Whitefish Middle 5-8 compares
Whitefish Middle 5-8 on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 32% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 657 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
657
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 81% in Montana - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.1%
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 329 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.0, Whitefish Middle 5-8 is less mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Whitefish Elem, which includes Whitefish Middle 5-8.
$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 Whitefish Middle 5-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| L a Muldown School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitefish Middle 5-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary 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 (~657 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitefish Middle 5-8's federal record.
- Compare Whitefish Middle 5-8 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 Whitefish Middle 5-8
How many students attend Whitefish Middle 5-8?
Whitefish Middle 5-8 has 657 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Whitefish, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitefish Middle 5-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitefish Middle 5-8 is 15.6:1, which is 32% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitefish Middle 5-8?
The largest demographic group at Whitefish Middle 5-8 is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Whitefish, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitefish Middle 5-8?
Whitefish Middle 5-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Whitefish Middle 5-8 rank among public schools in Whitefish?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitefish Middle 5-8 ranks #3 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 Whitefish Middle 5-8 a good school?
Whitefish Middle 5-8 earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Montana schools. 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 Whitefish Middle 5-8, Whitefish Elem also operates L a Muldown School (661 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.