West Elementary

West Elementary, a roomy elementary-level community in Great Falls, Montana, run under Great Falls Elem, works with 421 students, covering grades pre-K through 6. Enrollment runs roughly 152% bigger than the state mean of about 167.

Within Great Falls Elem, which oversees 18 schools and 7,094 students, West Elementary is one campus in the system.

Demographically, West Elementary logs that 70% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school reports 14% multiracial, 8% Hispanic, 8% Native American. By comparison, Cascade County as a whole is about 84% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, West Elementary records 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.8:1. The state averages around 11.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 76% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is above Cascade County's rate of about 54%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Cascade County indicate median household earnings sit near $67,690, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Cascade County runs 45 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,577 students), of which West Elementary is one.

Nearest neighbor: Valley View School, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at West Elementary has ticked down 12%, going from 480 students in 2018 to 421 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share rose from 66% to 70%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 15.7:1 in 2018 to 13.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.