Total enrollment
11,373
-280 (-2%) vs SY 2017-18
Cascade County
Montana · Public K-12
From the largest high school to the smallest elementary campus, Cascade County's 45 public schools collectively enroll about 11,577 K-12 students, with Great Falls Elem the heaviest district by enrollment. By level, that breaks down as 30 elementary, 8 middle, and 7 high schools.
7-year change in Cascade County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
44
+1 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
73%
was 76%
% Hispanic
8%
was 5%
% Black
1%
was 2%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
45
13 districts
Enrollment
11,577
NCES CCD
Median income
$67,690
Above Montana avg
Free/reduced lunch
53.6%
Below Montana avg
Elementary
30
6,411 students
Middle
8
1,824 students
High
7
3,342 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Great Falls Elem
7,094 students · 13 districts in Cascade County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Cascade County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
28.4%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.5%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.3%
civilian labor
Median age
39
22.3% under 18
Test scores in Cascade County
Latest 2020-21 ELA proficiency, 28 schools ranked. Montana state average: 47.2%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Belt 7-8· 84.5%
- Meadow Lark School· 72.0%
- Riverview School· 68.0%
- Cascade 6-8· 64.5%
- Centerville 6-8· 64.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Whittier School· 12.0%
- Longfellow School· 17.0%
- West Elementary· 27.0%
- Great Falls High School· 33.0%
- Centerville School· 34.5%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls High School | Great Falls | High | 09-12 | 1,548 | · |
| C M Russell High School | Great Falls | High | 09-12 | 1,412 | · |
| East Middle School | Great Falls | Middle | 07-08 | 764 | · |
| North Middle School | Great Falls | Middle | 07-08 | 764 | · |
| Meadow Lark School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 527 | · |
| Riverview School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 445 | · |
| Giant Springs Elementary | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 431 | · |
| West Elementary | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 421 | · |
| Sacajawea School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 405 | · |
| Sunnyside School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 396 | · |
| Loy School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 392 | · |
| Lincoln School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 373 | · |
| Lewis & Clark School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 338 | · |
| Mountain View School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 315 | · |
| Valley View School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 312 | · |
| CORE School at Morningside El | Great Falls | Elementary | KG-06 | 297 | · |
| Longfellow School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 263 | · |
| Chief Joseph School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 260 | · |
| Morningside School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 204 | · |
| Whittier School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-06 | 187 | · |
| Belt School | Belt | Elementary | PK-06 | 178 | · |
| Cascade School | Cascade | Elementary | PK-05 | 144 | · |
| Centerville School | Sand Coulee | Elementary | PK-05 | 120 | · |
| Cascade High School | Cascade | High | 09-12 | 111 | · |
| Vaughn Elementary | Vaughn | Elementary | PK-05 | 93 | · |
| Belt High School | Belt | High | 09-12 | 92 | · |
| Simms High School | Simms | High | 09-12 | 91 | · |
| Fort Shaw Elem School | Fort Shaw | Elementary | PK-05 | 88 | · |
| Cascade 6-8 | Cascade | Middle | 06-08 | 74 | · |
| Centerville High School | Sand Coulee | High | 09-12 | 73 | · |
| Ulm School | Ulm | Elementary | PK-05 | 69 | · |
| Centerville 6-8 | Sand Coulee | Middle | 06-08 | 65 | · |
| Belt 7-8 | Belt | Middle | 07-08 | 55 | · |
| Sun River Middle School | Simms | Middle | 06-08 | 55 | · |
| Vaughn 6-8 | Vaughn | Middle | 06-08 | 32 | · |
| Fairhaven Colony | Ulm | Elementary | PK-08 | 30 | · |
| Pleasant Valley School | Belt | Elementary | PK-08 | 24 | · |
| Grass Land Colony School | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-08 | 21 | · |
| MT Sch For Deaf & Blnd El | Great Falls | Elementary | PK-08 | 20 | · |
| Hill Top Colony School | Stockett | Elementary | PK-08 | 19 | · |
| Big Stone School | Sand Coulee | Elementary | PK-08 | 17 | · |
| MT Sch For Deaf & Blnd HS | Great Falls | High | 09-12 | 15 | · |
| Ulm Junior High | Ulm | Middle | 06-08 | 15 | · |
| Cascade Colony School | Sun River | Elementary | PK-08 | 11 | · |
| Hillcrest Colony Elementary | Power | Elementary | PK-08 | 11 | · |
Cities in Cascade County
About Cascade County
Cascade County is a medium-population Montana county of about 84,606 residents, home to 45 public schools and roughly 11,577 students.
For perspective, census numbers show median household income runs near $67,690, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 8%.
On the school-mix side, Cascade County covers 30 elementary schools (6,411 students), 8 middle schools (1,824), and 7 high schools (3,342).
Great Falls Elem is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 7,094 students across Cascade County.
Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment stayed largely flat: 11,653 students in SY 2017-18 versus 11,373 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 43 to 44 across the same 7-year window.
On allk12, the community for Cascade County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Cascade County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data