Elrod School

Elrod School is one of the middle-of-the-pack elementary schools in Kalispell, Montana, overseen by Kalispell Elem, with 237 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Montana's public schools average about 167 students each, so Elrod School sits 42% above that benchmark.

Kalispell Elem comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 3,097 students; Elrod School is among them.

On demographics, Elrod School logs that nearly all students (81%) are White. Other groups include 9% multiracial, 7% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 91% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Elrod School records 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.8:1. The state averages around 11.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 100% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Flathead County runs at roughly 75%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Flathead County put the typical household earns roughly $73,925 per year, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Flathead County's 48 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,957 students), Elrod School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Flathead High School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Elrod School.

The school occupies a town-center site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Elrod School has decreased 26%, going from 320 students in 2018 to 237 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share ticked down from 88% to 81%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.8:1 in 2018 to 15.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.