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Creston School

Q: Is Creston School a good school?

Creston School ranks 200 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

200^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Creston School is a small elementary school in Kalispell, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 83 students. This school stands out for its consistently high academic performance, ranking among the top 30-40 elementary schools in the state in recent years, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (48%), Mathematics (32%), and Science (41.67%) all exceeding the state averages.

One of Creston School's key differentiators is its very low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.4 to 12.1 over the past few years, significantly lower than the nearby Cornelius Hedges School, Jeannette Rankin Elementary School, and other local schools, which have ratios between 12.9 and 17.7. This small school size may contribute to the school's ability to provide more individualized attention and support for its students.

However, one unusual finding is the lack of available data on the school's free/reduced lunch rates, which is in contrast to the nearby schools that all have 100% of their students qualifying for this program. This makes it difficult to compare Creston School's socioeconomic demographics to the surrounding area. Overall, Creston School appears to be a strong-performing elementary school within the Creston Elementary School District, offering a high-quality education in a small, intimate setting.

Students ?

9.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,059

Per pupil spending ?

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4495 Montana 35
Kalispell, MT 59901

(406) 755-2859

District: Creston Elementary

Students who attend Creston School usually attend:

High:

Flathead High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.5%

Hispanic:

14.5%

Two or more races:

4.8%

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Compare Creston School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2010 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Montana median (50th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 35 percentile points since 2010

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Montana avg40%

200^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 49 pts since 2016

From top 1% (2016) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

204^th of 387Creston Elementary among Montana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	200 of 401	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	88.4	21 of 212	90.1%	★★★★★
2023	89.9	29 of 332	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	88.3	38 of 329	88.4%	★★★★☆
2021	90.6	36 of 356	89.9%	★★★★★
2016	99.5	1 of 191	99.5%	★★★★★
2013	72.8	48 of 246	80.5%	★★★★☆
2012	67.1	67 of 244	72.5%	★★★★☆
2011	78.6	23 of 247	90.7%	★★★★★
2010	73.4	35 of 241	85.5%	★★★★☆
2009	74.1	27 of 190	85.8%	★★★★☆
2008	70.6	50 of 194	74.2%	★★★★☆
2007	82.8	10 of 230	95.7%	★★★★★
2006	93.8	1 of 234	99.6%	★★★★★
2005	62.4	91 of 218	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	76.7	43 of 217	80.2%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%+5 vs state

Science42%+4 vs state

Mathematics32%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Creston School

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
Creston School	Public	PK, KG-6	4495 Montana 35	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Creston Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-2859	83	9	9.4		66 (79.5%)	1 (1.2%)	12 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	52	200^th of 401 public elementary schools	50.1%		88.4	21^st of 212 public elementary schools	90.1%	179	48.0	32.0	$11,059
Cayuse Prairie School	Public	PK, KG-6	897 Lake Blaine Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Cayuse Prairie Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 756-4560	254	17	14.9	32.3%	231 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	72.9	84^th of 401 public elementary schools	79.1%					(n/a)	53.2	52.4	$10,679
Fair-Mont-Egan School	Public	PK, KG-5	797 Fairmont Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Fair-Mont-Egan Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-7072	115	10	11.9	100.0%	108 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	3 (2.6%)	78.9	57^th of 401 public elementary schools	85.8%					(n/a)	58.3	55.0	$15,256
East Evergreen School	Public	PK, KG-4	585 E. Evergreen	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Evergreen Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-1121	360	28	13.0	100.0%	294 (81.7%)	2 (0.6%)	35 (9.7%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.1%)	29.7	305^th of 401 public elementary schools	23.9%					(n/a)	27.3	28.8	$15,199
Helena Flats School	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Helena Flats Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Helena Flats Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 257-2301	253	14	17.7	100.0%	238 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	4 (1.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	49.6	209^th of 401 public elementary schools	47.9%					(n/a)	38.7	37.6	$9,229
Deer Park School	Public	PK, KG-5	2105 Middle Road	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Deer Park Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-5388	120	9	13.4	35.8%	114 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	73.5	81^st of 401 public elementary schools	79.8%		71.7	68^th of 212 public elementary schools	67.9%	13	55.9	50.0	$10,359
Cornelius Hedges School	Public	PK, KG-5	827 4th Avenue E	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-4090	320	21	15.2	100.0%	269 (84.1%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (7.5%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.3%)	70.4	96^th of 401 public elementary schools	76.1%		54.6	110^th of 212 public elementary schools	48.1%	14	56.9	44.5	$13,819
Jeannette Rankin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2155 Airport Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3400	415	25	16.6	100.0%	355 (85.5%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.2%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.3%)	54.5	185^th of 401 public elementary schools	53.9%					(n/a)	52.4	34.7	$11,574
Swan River School	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 Swan Highway	Bigfork	59911	Flathead County	Swan River Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 837-4528	106	8	12.9	100.0%	96 (90.6%)	2 (1.9%)	4 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	50.3	206^th of 401 public elementary schools	48.6%					(n/a)	52.7	20.0	$12,156
Elrod School	Public	PK, KG-5	412 3rd Avenue W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3700	237	15	15.7	100.0%	193 (81.4%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.8%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (9.3%)	42.7	244^th of 401 public elementary schools	39.2%					(n/a)	42.7	30.1	$15,326

Frequently Asked Questions about Creston School

What district is Creston School in?

Creston Elementary

What schools do graduates of Creston School attend?

Students who attend Creston School usually go on to attend:

High : Flathead High School

What is the racial makeup of Creston School?

Students at Creston School are 80% White, 14% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Creston School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 83 students attended Creston School.

Is Creston School a good school?

Creston School ranks 200^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Creston School!

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Schools in Kalispell, MT

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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.