Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Columbia Falls Elementary

At a glance

230^thof 387 Montana districts▼ 69

Better than 40% of Montana districts

Elementary 2 Middle 1Grades PK, KG-8

501 6th Ave West
Columbia Falls, MT 59912·(406) 892-6550·All Montana district rankings →

Statewide performance 2016–2025

2025: better than 40.6% of districts

Schools

1,505

Students

Top rankedColumbia Falls Junior High School110^th of 222 Montana middle schools

✦

Newly ranked this year

Glacier Gateway Elementary and 1 more

Compare Montana districts →See the top-ranked Montana schools →

Summary:

The Columbia Falls Elementary district in Montana operates three schools: two elementary schools (Ruder Elementary and Glacier Gateway Elementary) and one middle school (Columbia Falls Junior High School). While the middle school stands out as a high performer, the elementary schools face challenges in academic achievement.

Columbia Falls Junior High School is the district's top-performing school, ranking 16th out of 123 Montana middle schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school outperformed the district and state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency. In contrast, Ruder Elementary and Glacier Gateway Elementary had lower proficiency rates compared to the district and state in core subjects.

The data also reveals high poverty levels across all three schools, with 97.54% to 98.94% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the available spending per student data for Ruder Elementary suggests potential funding disparities within the district, which may contribute to the performance differences between the middle school and elementary schools. The district has opportunities to address these challenges and support the lower-performing schools to ensure equitable educational outcomes for all students.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Columbia Falls Junior High School	Public	6-8	1805 Talbot Road	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6530	547	37	14.9	98.9%	471 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.4%)	50.5	110^th of 222 public middle schools	50.5%		81.8	16^th of 123 public middle schools	87.0%	94	44.6	37.3	$12,802
Glacier Gateway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 4th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6540	471	33	14.4	98.9%	405 (86.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.0%)	48	218^th of 401 public elementary schools	45.6%					(n/a)	37.7	35.3	$12,477
Ruder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 12th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6570	487	34	14.3	97.5%	413 (84.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (8.8%)	38.4	259^th of 401 public elementary schools	35.4%					(n/a)	38.5	25.8	$11,747

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Columbia Falls High School	0.71 mi	1	124^th
Deer Park Elementary	5.29 mi	2	42^nd
Whitefish Elementary	6.1 mi	2	22^nd
Whitefish High School	6.27 mi	1	24^th
Helena Flats Elementary	7.87 mi	2	174^th

See the top MT Montana districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.