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West Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-6

334^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

West Elementary is a public elementary school in Great Falls, Montana, serving 421 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Great Falls Elementary School District, which is ranked 241 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Montana elementary schools over the past decade, with its highest ranking being 106 out of 123 schools in the 2018-2019 school year. The school has received a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the recent years, indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state. West Elementary significantly underperforms the district and state in standardized test scores across all subjects, with only 22.13% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 26.32% in Mathematics, and 6.35% in Science. This is in contrast to nearby schools like Meadow Lark School and Sacajawea School, which have much higher academic performance.

Additionally, West Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income status, at 76.25% in the 2024-2025 school year. This is significantly higher than the nearby schools mentioned above. Despite the relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.7 students per teacher, West Elementary's academic performance remains significantly below the district and state averages, suggesting the need for a comprehensive approach to address the unique challenges faced by the school and its student population.

421

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,934

Per pupil spending ?

76.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1205 1st Avenue NW
Great Falls, MT 59404

(406) 268-7180

District: Great Falls Elementary

Students who attend West Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	North Middle School
High:	C M Russell High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.3%

Two or more races:

13.8%

Hispanic:

7.8%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2013 → 17th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (22% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school22%

District avg37%

Montana avg40%

334^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 14% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^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	22.6	334 of 401	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	292 of 332	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.6	278 of 329	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.1	299 of 356	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	106 of 123	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	111 of 116	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.9	105 of 109	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.9	175 of 191	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	17.8	248 of 287	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	49.5	159 of 246	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.8	113 of 244	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.2	93 of 247	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.2	95 of 241	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.1	62 of 190	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.3	46 of 194	76.3%	★★★★☆
2007	56.7	114 of 230	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.4	82 of 234	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	74.3	50 of 218	77.1%	★★★★☆
2004	77.9	40 of 217	81.6%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics26%-10 vs state

English Language Arts22%-21 vs state

Science6%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near West Elementary

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about West Elementary

What district is West Elementary in?

Great Falls Elementary

Is West Elementary a good school?

West Elementary ranks in the bottom 16.7% of Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of West Elementary?

Students at West Elementary are 70% White, 14% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 8% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of West Elementary attend?

Students who attend West Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Middle School
High : C M Russell High School

How many students attend West Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 421 students attended West Elementary.

Rate West Elementary!

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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.