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What's something West Elementary does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
421
Elementary
DISTRICT 348 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GREAT FALLS ELEM·NCES 301304000881
West Elementary
1205 1st Avenue NW, Great Falls, MT 59404 · (406) 268-7180 · Cascade County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL421 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.1:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
76%
321 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 58%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 15 | 4% |
| Kindergarten | 55 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 56 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 43 | 10% |
| Grade 3 | 52 | 12% |
| Grade 4 | 64 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 66 | 16% |
| Grade 6 | 70 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (55) is 21% smaller than its 6th grade class (70).
Student demographics
47%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 40% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
27.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
19.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 27 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 19 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Montana schools, those numbers are about 47 and 36.
Source: EDFacts (federal). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like West Elementary
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elementary this school | 421 | 76.2% | N/A |
| Mountain View School Great Falls | 315 | 80.6% | N/A |
| West School Laurel | 248 | 79.8% | N/A |
| Bench School Billings | 332 | 70.5% | N/A |
| Libby Elementary School Libby | 582 | 67.5% | N/A |
| Fred W Graff School Laurel | 245 | 87.3% | N/A |
Matched among Montana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Cascade County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 19.0% | #178 of 199 | #16 of 18 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 27.0% | #183 of 201 | #16 of 18 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 421 | #32 of 421 | #4 of 30 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.8:1 | #55 of 160 | #5 of 15 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 47.4% | #37 of 160 | #7 of 15 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 76.2% | #68 of 226 | #5 of 19 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -12.3% | #54 of 107 | #6 of 11 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
421
-10 (-2%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 643
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 15.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 421 | 30.6 | 13.8:1 | 76% (321) |
| 2023-24 | 463 | 31.8 | 14.6:1 | 86% (400) |
| 2022-23 | 463 | 29.4 | 15.7:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 431 | 28 | 15.4:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 480 | 30.6 | 15.7:1 | 100% (480) |
| 2015-16 | 488 | 32 | 15.3:1 | 100% (488) |
| 2010-11 | 475 | 33 | 14.4:1 | 56% (264) |
| 2000-01 | 515 | 30 | 17.2:1 | 51% (262) |
| 1990-91 | 643 | 26 | 24.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (480 to 421); teachers unchanged (30.6 to 30.6).
About West Elementary
West Elementary is a large elementary school in Great Falls, Montana, (ZIP code 59404). The school covers pre-K through 6 and reported 421 students in 2024-25. Across elementary schools in Montana, the average enrollment is about 167.
West Elementary is among 18 schools run by Great Falls Elem, which serves 7,094 students.
White students are 70% of those enrolled at West Elementary. Next come 14% multiracial, 8% Hispanic, and 8% Native American. That compares with about 84% White among all Cascade County residents. A diversity index of 47% means there is a 47% chance two randomly chosen students at West Elementary are from different groups.
With 30.6 full-time-equivalent teachers, the student-to-teacher ratio is about 13.8:1. The average for elementary schools in Montana is 11.9:1, so this school has more students per teacher. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at West Elementary, 76% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. It compares with 54% for public schools in Cascade County.
In the wider Cascade County area, the median household earns about $67,690 a year, about 28% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 8%. West Elementary shares Cascade County with 44 other public schools.
Valley View School is the nearest public school to West Elementary, about 0.7 miles away. West Elementary is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles.
Its location is classified as City: Small by the National Center for Education Statistics.
In 2020-21, West Elementary enrolled 431; in 2024-25, 421. The number of students per teacher dropped from 15.4 to 13.8 over 4 years.
Use the discussion section to ask about special education services, counseling, and support programs at West Elementary. You can also rate the school on this page.
Cascade County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
84,606
Census ACS
Median income
$67,690
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
28%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
45
11,577 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Great Falls Elem
- East Middle SchoolMiddle · 764 students
- North Middle SchoolMiddle · 764 students
- Meadow Lark SchoolElementary · 527 students
- Riverview SchoolElementary · 445 students
- Giant Springs ElementaryElementary · 431 students
- Sacajawea SchoolElementary · 405 students
Other schools in Great Falls
- Great Falls High SchoolHigh · 1,548 students
- C M Russell High SchoolHigh · 1,412 students
- East Middle SchoolMiddle · 764 students
- North Middle SchoolMiddle · 764 students
- Meadow Lark SchoolElementary · 527 students
- Riverview SchoolElementary · 445 students
Other West Elementary schools
50 other US public schools in 25 states are named West Elementary. West Elementary is the 23rd largest of the 51.
- West Elementary SchoolButte, MT · 503 students
- West ElementaryMt Juliet, TN · 849 students
- West ElementaryBixby, OK · 757 students
- West Elementary SchoolCYPRESS, TX · 740 students
- West Elementary SchoolRussellville, AL · 686 students
Nearby schools
- Valley View School0.7 mi · 312
- C M Russell High School1.0 mi · 1,412
- Riverview School1.3 mi · 445
- Whittier School1.8 mi · 187
- Meadow Lark School1.9 mi · 527
- Longfellow School2.2 mi · 263
Frequently asked questions
About West ElementaryHow many students attend West Elementary?
West Elementary enrolls approximately 421 students in grades PK-06.
What grades does West Elementary serve?
West Elementary serves grades PK-06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at West Elementary is approximately 13.8:1 (31 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at West Elementary?
At West Elementary, the student body is approximately 70% White, 8% Hispanic, 0% Asian, 14% Two or more.
Is West Elementary public or private?
West Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Great Falls Elem.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.