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Whittier School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

381^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Whittier School is an elementary school in Great Falls Elementary School District, serving 187 students in grades PK-6. Despite spending more per student than most nearby schools, Whittier School significantly underperforms academically compared to the district and state averages, with only 7.37% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 6.19% proficient in Mathematics.

Whittier School faces unique challenges, including an extremely high percentage of students (97.33%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly low-income population. This socioeconomic factor likely contributes to the school's academic struggles. Additionally, Whittier School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 10.6, which could be an asset, but does not seem to be translating into improved outcomes, suggesting that other factors, such as curriculum or school leadership, may need to be addressed.

Compared to nearby schools, Sacajawea School, Lincoln School, and Valley View School, Whittier School stands out with its significantly lower academic performance and higher concentration of students from low-income families. Addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive approach to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for the students at Whittier School.

187

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,657

Per pupil spending ?

97.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

305 8th Street North
Great Falls, MT 59401

(406) 268-7230

District: Great Falls Elementary

Students who attend Whittier School usually attend:

Middle:	East Middle School
High:	Great Falls High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.2%

American Indian:

22.5%

Two or more races:

21.9%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Whittier School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 24th percentile in 2007 → 5th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (7% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2007

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school7%

District avg37%

Montana avg40%

381^st of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 14Elementary Schools in the Great Falls Elementary

241^st of 387Great Falls 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	7.0	381 of 401	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	304 of 332	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.8	281 of 329	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.0	335 of 356	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	10.0	270 of 287	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	18.8	210 of 246	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	16.3	211 of 244	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.2	220 of 247	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.2	208 of 241	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.9	174 of 230	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	52.0	130 of 234	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	15.1	199 of 218	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	93.0	10 of 217	95.4%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts7%-36 vs state

Science7%-31 vs state

Mathematics6%-31 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, October 9, 2010

Whittier is a small excellent school. The Principal Ryan Hart is outstanding and so is his staff. Small classes and nice, caring teachers. The low acedemic rating is due to a high transient population of students rather than the ones that stay at the school. The PTA is small but very active and very well funded. There are no school buses which makes this a great old walk to neighborhood school. Parents and teachers keep very close eyes on students and people around the school. This is an old, very clean school with hardwood floors. It is more like a family with everyone watching out for each other. Parents range from millionaires to low income and everyone gets along great. It's the children who matter and this is very evident. A+++++ Close Quote

Schools Near Whittier School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Whittier School	Public	PK, KG-6	305 8th Street North	Great Falls	59401	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7230	187	18	10.6	97.3%	77 (41.2%)	2 (1.1%)	22 (11.8%)	3 (1.6%)	42 (22.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (21.9%)	7	381^st of 401 public elementary schools	5.0%					(n/a)	7.4	6.2	$15,657
Longfellow School	Public	PK, KG-6	1100 6th Ave So	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-6845	263	22	12.1	98.1%	107 (40.7%)	3 (1.1%)	45 (17.1%)	1 (0.4%)	62 (23.6%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (17.1%)	9.8	372^nd of 401 public elementary schools	7.2%					(n/a)	12.0	9.1	$12,920
Riverview School	Public	PK, KG-6	100 Smelter Avenue	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7015	445	21	21.1	38.0%	347 (78.0%)	3 (0.7%)	33 (7.4%)	5 (1.1%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.5%)	67.9	116^th of 401 public elementary schools	71.1%					(n/a)	48.9	51.1	$11,286
Sacajawea School	Public	PK, KG-6	630 Sacajawea Drive	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7080	405	23	17.8	45.2%	309 (76.3%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.9%)	6 (1.5%)	9 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (13.6%)	69.3	105^th of 401 public elementary schools	73.8%					(n/a)	55.6	45.3	$11,610
Lincoln School	Public	PK, KG-6	624 27th Street South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-6800	373	24	15.6	54.7%	273 (73.2%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.8%)	4 (1.1%)	18 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (12.6%)	48.6	215^th of 401 public elementary schools	46.4%					(n/a)	42.7	36.4	$11,668
Valley View School	Public	PK, KG-6	900 Avenue A NW	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7145	312	21	14.7	57.7%	224 (71.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (15.4%)	23.2	333^rd of 401 public elementary schools	17.0%					(n/a)	26.9	21.6	$12,583
Sunnyside School	Public	PK, KG-6	1800 19th Street South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7115	396	25	15.6	78.5%	226 (57.1%)	6 (1.5%)	54 (13.6%)	5 (1.3%)	33 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (18.2%)	24.2	328^th of 401 public elementary schools	18.2%					(n/a)	21.9	26.2	$11,580
West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1205 1st Avenue NW	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7180	421	31	13.7	76.2%	296 (70.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (13.8%)	22.6	334^th of 401 public elementary schools	16.7%					(n/a)	22.1	26.3	$11,934
Giant Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	520 32nd Street North	Great Falls	59401	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7045	431	30	14.4	75.6%	308 (71.5%)	7 (1.6%)	33 (7.7%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.1%)	42.6	246^th of 401 public elementary schools	38.7%					(n/a)	38.4	31.0	$10,538
Meadow Lark School	Public	PK, KG-6	2204 Fox Farm Road	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7300	527	26	20.0	19.4%	446 (84.6%)	4 (0.8%)	32 (6.1%)	2 (0.4%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.6%)	76.2	69^th of 401 public elementary schools	82.8%					(n/a)	53.9	56.4	$10,549

Frequently Asked Questions about Whittier School

What district is Whittier School in?

Great Falls Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Whittier School?

Students at Whittier School are 41% White, 22% American Indian, 22% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Whittier School attend?

Students who attend Whittier School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Middle School
High : Great Falls High School

Is Whittier School a good school?

Whittier School ranks in the bottom 5.0% of Montana elementary schools.

How many students attend Whittier School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 187 students attended Whittier School.

Rate Whittier School!

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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.