School district or education agency · NCES 3007110

Columbia Falls Elementary

Columbia Falls, MT

District overview See comparisons

Students1,585

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools3

operational schools · 2023–24

Students1,585

students in linked records

Latest attendance year2022–23

federal comparable series

Latest finance record$11,977

per student

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictMTUnited States

Academic standing2023

48th percentile48th percentile44th percentile

This district is about the same as the state figure and 4 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23

34.0%35.9%27.8%

This district is 1.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023

$14,572$16,089$19,509

This district is $1,517 per student lower than the state figure and $4,937 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023

$11,977$13,612$15,859

This district is $1,635 per student lower than the state figure and $3,882 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023

$7,205$1,531$1,964

This district is $5,674 per student higher than the state figure and $5,241 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023

$373$510$336

This district is $137 per student lower than the state figure and $37 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023

$1,432$1,199$1,793

This district is $233 per student higher than the state figure and $361 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023

$6,978$7,819$8,742

This district is $841 per student lower than the state figure and $1,764 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023

$2,842$2,427$3,769

This district is $415 per student higher than the state figure and $927 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023

$22,275$10,437$11,715

This district is $11,838 per student higher than the state figure and $10,560 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023

$896$540$869

This district is $356 per student higher than the state figure and $27 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24

15:114:115:1

This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24

391:1288:1376:1

This district is 103 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 15 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24

129.4145.3138.9

This district is 15.9 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 9.5 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24

24.319.118.5

This district is 5.2 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 5.8 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24

1.01.00.9

This district is about the same as the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools

0.5%6.5%12.0%

This district is 5.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 11.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools

14.9%13.7%14.0%

This district is 1.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools

2.1%3.6%3.9%

This district is 1.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools

100.0%97.7%95.8%

This district is 2.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24

+2.2%-0.1%+0.5%

This district is 2.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment

1.9%3.6%4.5%

This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment

6.9%6.8%9.0%

This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment

0.0%3.1%6.7%

This district is 3.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment

1.4%3.2%5.1%

This district is 1.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate

7.8%10.6%14.4%

This district is 2.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K16 students

1.0%

Kindergarten–grade 51,026 students

64.7%

Grades 6–8543 students

34.3%

See enrollment for every grade

Pre-Kindergarten16

Kindergarten175

Grade 1154

Grade 2187

Grade 3147

Grade 4177

Grade 5186

Grade 6182

Grade 7183

Grade 8178

Students by race and ethnicity

White1,356 (85.6%)

Two or more races119 (7.5%)

Hispanic/Latino89 (5.6%)

American Indian or Alaska Native18 (1.1%)

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander2 (0.1%)

Black or African American1 (0.1%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

205.2All district staff, full-time equivalent

107.1Teachers, full-time equivalent

4.1School counselors, full-time equivalent

1.6School psychologists, full-time equivalent

38.5Instructional aides, full-time equivalent

3Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent

4School administrators, full-time equivalent

8.3Student support staff, full-time equivalent

See detailed staffing

Kindergarten teachers4.4 FTE

Elementary teachers102.6 FTE

Elementary school counselors4.1 FTE

Instructional coordinators1.2 FTE

District administrators1.2 FTE

Other support staff36.3 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

0.5%Students learning English8 students · 3 of 3 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District0.5%

MT6.5%

U.S.12.0%

14.9%Students receiving IDEA special-education services231 students · 3 of 3 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District14.9%

MT13.7%

U.S.14.0%

2.1%Students with Section 504 plans32 students · 3 of 3 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District2.1%

MT3.6%

U.S.3.9%

0.1%English learners also receiving IDEA services1 students · 3 of 3 schools reported both this measure and enrollment

District0.1%

MT0.9%

U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

100.0%Teachers reported as certified

15Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District100.0%

MT97.7%

United States95.8%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

1,853children ages 5 to 17

145estimated to live in families below the poverty line

7.8%about 1 in 13 school-age children

District7.8%

MT10.6%

United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in MT receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

Lockwood K-12Lockwood, MT1,683 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Hamilton K-12 SchoolsHamilton, MT1,660 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, special-education enrollment · View profile →Hellgate ElementaryMissoula, MT1,460 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Corvallis K-12 SchoolsCorvallis, MT1,412 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Frenchtown K-12 SchoolsFrenchtown, MT1,385 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

1Middle schools

2Elementary schools

3Town setting

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

13.1%Federal

38.8%State

48.1%Local

Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$11,977Total current spending per student

$7,084Instruction per student

$4,889Support services per student

Revenue by source: percentages and dollars

$3MFederal revenue13.1% of total revenue

$8.8MState revenue38.8% of total revenue

$10.9MLocal revenue48.1% of total revenue

How operating money was used

$7,084Instructionper student

$4,889Student and instructional supportper student

$1,432Special educationper student

$1,419Building operations and maintenanceper student

$237Student transportationper student

$0Food servicesper student

$238Technologyper student

People costs

$10.9MSalaries$6,978 per student

$4.4MEmployee benefits$2,842 per student

Equipment, buildings and debt

$583KEquipmentFY 2023

$11.3MCapital outlay$7,205 per student

$10.7MConstructionincluded in capital outlay

$34.8MDebt outstanding at year end$22,275 per student

$0New debt issuedFY 2023

$1.4MDebt principal retiredFY 2023

$1.3MInterest paid on debtFY 2023

Selected federal program revenue

$1MTitle I$672 per student

$506KIDEA special education$324 per student

What changed since FY 2022

Operating spending per student

FY 2022$11,667

FY 2023$11,977

Capital spending per student

FY 2022$12,389

FY 2023$7,205

Debt outstanding per student

FY 2022$23,336

FY 2023$22,275

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–2135.1%

502 of 1,430 students

2021–2240.9%

634 of 1,551 students

2022–2334%

531 of 1,562 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

3Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE3 reporting schools

0Security staff FTE3 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Gifted programs3 reporting schools

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

40Out-of-school suspensions3 reporting schoolsSee schools →79In-school suspensions3 reporting schoolsSee schools →17Law-enforcement referrals3 reporting schoolsSee schools →16School-related arrests3 reporting schoolsSee schools →12Physical restraint1 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

100%Schools reporting Wi-Fi3 reporting schools

100%Schools reporting fiber3 reporting schools

0Student devices reported3 reporting schools

0Weapon-possession reports3 reporting schoolsSee schools →1Threats involving a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →7Threats without a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Attacks involving a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →20Attacks without a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Firearm incidents3 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Robberies without a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Robberies involving a weapon3 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Homicide incidents3 reporting schoolsSee schools →

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Six questions parents ask

What the available data says

Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.

Are students making academic progress?3 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2023Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?34% chronically absent2022–23 · 1,562 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?No comparable group resultSuppressed or unavailableExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$11,977current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?391:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →