Flathead County Schools & Education
Flathead County, Montana
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
37/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
85.6%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
85.6%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 83.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,328
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,334
School Score
37/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#50
of 56 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Flathead County
Measured School Summary
Flathead County faces educational challenges with a school score of 37/100 and a graduation rate of 85.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $7,328 per pupil, Flathead County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 33% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 21% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Flathead County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
46 public schools and 23 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
37/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #50 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.
Completion
85.6%
1.9 pts above the state average
Funding context
$7,328
$2,006 below the state average
School coverage
46
23 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Flathead County has 46 public schools across 23 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Flathead County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Review-carefully county
Flathead County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.
State position
#50
of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 18 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Flathead H S
High school only in this slice
3,101 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Kalispell Elem
Elementary and middle visible
3,095 students
7 listed schools in this county slice.
Columbia Falls Elem
Elementary and middle visible
1,562 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Whitefish Elem
Elementary and middle visible
1,313 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Kalispell Elem is the largest listed district slice, with 7 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Flathead County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Flathead County district systems?
Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Per-Pupil Spending in Flathead County Trails National Averages
Education data brief for Flathead County, Montana.
Flathead County reports a per-pupil expenditure of $7,328, which is approximately 44% lower than the national average of $13,000 and more than $2,000 below the Montana state average of $9,334. The county manages a large student population of 15,270 across 46 schools, making it one of the most populated systems in the state. Despite the lower spending levels, the graduation rate is 85.6%, which is higher than the state average of 83.7% but slightly below the national rate of 87.0%. The county's composite school score is 36.7, compared to a state average of 55.0. Kalispell Elem is the largest of 23 districts, serving 3,095 students. Flathead High School is the largest individual school with 1,626 students. The locale mix is predominantly rural, with 30 rural and 16 town-based schools. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
46
in Flathead County
Reported Enrollment
15,270
46 schools reporting
School Districts
23
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
23 School Districts in Flathead County
Flathead H S
Kalispell Elem
Columbia Falls Elem
Whitefish Elem
West Valley Elem
Columbia Falls H S
Evergreen Elem
Bigfork Elem
Whitefish H S
Somers Elem
46 Public Schools in Flathead County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 46 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead High School | Profile | Flathead H S | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 1,626 |
| Glacier High School | Profile | Flathead H S | Kalispell, 59901Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,475 |
| Kalispell Middle School | Profile | Kalispell Elem | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 1,045 |
| Columbia Falls High Schl | Record | Columbia Falls H S | Columbia Falls, 59912Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 687 |
| Whitefish Middle 5-8 | Record | Whitefish Elem | Whitefish, 59937Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 660 |
| L A Muldown School | Record | Whitefish Elem | Whitefish, 59937Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 653 |
| Whitefish High School | Record | Whitefish H S | Whitefish, 59937Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 581 |
| Ruder Elementary | Record | Columbia Falls Elem | Columbia Falls, 59912Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 563 |
| Columbia Falls Jr HS | Record | Columbia Falls Elem | Columbia Falls, 59912Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 526 |
| Edgerton School | Record | Kalispell Elem | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 495 |
| Glacier Gateway Elem | Record | Columbia Falls Elem | Columbia Falls, 59912Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 473 |
| Bigfork Elementary | Record | Bigfork Elem | Bigfork, 59911Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 461 |
| Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc | Record | Kalispell Elem | Kalispell, 59901Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 435 |
| West Valley School | Record | West Valley Elem | Kalispell, 59901Rural: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 424 |
| East Evergreen School | Record | Evergreen Elem | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 360 |
| Bigfork High School | Record | Bigfork H S | Bigfork, 59911Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 354 |
| West Valley Middle School | Record | West Valley Elem | Kalispell, 59901Rural: Distant | 5–8 | Middle | 338 |
| Lillian Peterson School | Record | Kalispell Elem | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 337 |
| Cornelius Hedges School | Record | Kalispell Elem | Kalispell, 59901Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 319 |
| Lakeside Elementary School | Record | Somers Elem | Somers, 59932Rural: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 302 |
Flathead High School
Flathead H S
Kalispell, 59901 / Town: Remote
Glacier High School
Flathead H S
Kalispell, 59901 / Rural: Fringe
Kalispell Middle School
Kalispell Elem
Kalispell, 59901 / Town: Remote
Columbia Falls High Schl
Columbia Falls H S
Columbia Falls, 59912 / Town: Remote
Ruder Elementary
Columbia Falls Elem
Columbia Falls, 59912 / Town: Remote
Columbia Falls Jr HS
Columbia Falls Elem
Columbia Falls, 59912 / Town: Remote
Glacier Gateway Elem
Columbia Falls Elem
Columbia Falls, 59912 / Town: Remote
Jeannette Rankin Elementary Sc
Kalispell Elem
Kalispell, 59901 / Rural: Fringe
West Valley Middle School
West Valley Elem
Kalispell, 59901 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,328
State avg $9,334
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Flathead County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Montana counties have the highest graduation rates?
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What is the graduation rate in Flathead County?
How much does Flathead County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.