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Whitefish High School

Summary:

Whitefish High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 630 students. Located in Whitefish, Montana, the school is part of the Whitefish High School District, which is ranked 12th out of 227 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Whitefish High School has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in Montana, with a current statewide ranking of 8th out of 122 high schools and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whitefish High School's academic performance consistently outperforms the state average in proficiency rates for Mathematics, Reading, and Science on Montana state tests. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 48.31% in Mathematics, 70.09% in Reading, and 42.5% in Science, compared to the state averages of 37.06%, 45.88%, and 36.37%, respectively. The school's academic performance has been consistently strong, with its statewide ranking ranging from 3rd to 14th over the past 10 years. Additionally, Whitefish High School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.5 to 14.7 students per teacher over the past three school years, lower than the nearby Flathead High School (15.4), Glacier High School (15.4), and Columbia Falls High School (15.3).

Whitefish High School also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 23.81% in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the nearby Flathead High School (39.56%), Glacier High School (31.75%), and Columbia Falls High School (48.55%). This suggests that Whitefish High School may serve a more affluent student population, which could have implications for the school's resources, extracurricular offerings, and the overall educational experience of its students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 1143 East 4th St.
       Whitefish, MT  59937

(406) 862-8600

District: Whitefish High School

SchoolDigger Rank:
8th of 122 Montana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,629 Help


Feeder schools for Whitefish High School:

Elementary:    Bissell School
    L A Muldown School
Middle:    Bissell 7-8
    Whitefish Middle 5-8

Student/teacher ratio:  14.7 Help
Number of students:  630

Racial breakdown:

White:
94.4%
Hispanic:
2.2%
Two or more races:
1.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  23.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Whitefish High School ranks better than 93.4% of high schools in Montana. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.02. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.2%), two or more races (1.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 23.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whitefish High School is 14.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Whitefish High School employs 42.6 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whitefish High School is $13,629. (See more...)
Schooldigger Rankings:

Whitefish High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Whitefish High School 8th of 122 Montana public high schools. (See Whitefish High School in the ranking list.)

Whitefish High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitefish High School 12th of 227 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Whitefish High School?

Rank History for Whitefish High School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools MT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 79.49 19th 137 86.1%
2005 88.28 8th 142 94.4%
2006 74.03 28th 138 79.7%
2007 77.48 21st 136 84.6%
2008 68.58 36th 139 74.1%
2009 65.14 40th 135 70.4%
2010 75.42 25th 135 81.5%
2011 66.23 40th 122 67.2%
2012 70.16 37th 129 71.3%
2013 73.00 27th 128 78.9%
2015 84.91 11th 92 88.0%
2016 85.77 9th 113 92.0%
2017 90.11 5th 111 95.5%
2018 72.07 25th 119 79.0%
2019 94.48 3rd 119 97.5%
2021 76.95 14th 138 89.9%
2022 67.05 10th 114 91.2%
2023 79.52 9th 124 92.7%
2024 78.02 8th 122 93.4%
See the entire list of Montana High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Whitefish High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

by a student
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Open Quote Full of bullies. Nobody will do well at this school unless they play a cool kid sport. A volleyball player obviously cheated on my test but I was punished for telling the teacher about it. Huge drug problem. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Whitefish High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 495 495
1991 485 1 0 6 1 n/a n/a 0 493
1992 515 1 0 13 1 n/a n/a 0 530
1993 557 0 1 6 23 n/a n/a 0 587
1994 612 0 5 9 8 n/a n/a 0 634
1995 593 0 1 9 4 n/a n/a 0 607
1996 593 0 1 9 4 n/a n/a 0 607
1997 644 1 3 7 2 n/a n/a 0 657
1998 645 0 7 3 5 n/a n/a 0 660
1999 633 2 6 4 4 n/a n/a 0 649
2000 652 1 10 12 3 n/a n/a 0 678
2001 668 1 7 13 8 n/a n/a 0 697
2002 674 0 7 9 7 n/a n/a 0 697
2003 674 0 7 9 7 n/a n/a 0 697
2004 659 0 4 6 5 n/a n/a 0 674
2005 722 2 6 8 5 n/a n/a 0 743
2006 700 3 8 5 9 n/a n/a 0 725
2007 679 3 8 7 7 n/a n/a 0 704
2008 615 4 7 6 9 n/a n/a 0 641
2009 522 5 10 7 7 n/a n/a 0 551
2010 480 4 10 10 6 n/a n/a 0 510
2011 460 4 9 13 6 0 0 0 492
2012 470 2 9 10 9 0 0 0 500
2013 454 1 8 8 7 0 0 0 478
2014 470 4 6 8 9 0 0 0 497
2015 469 3 3 14 8 0 0 0 497
2016 457 1 3 14 5 0 0 0 480
2017 450 2 1 19 10 0 0 0 482
2018 459 1 2 14 4 2 2 0 484
2019 492 3 2 13 7 3 4 0 524
2020 534 3 8 19 7 4 4 0 579
2021 547 2 8 17 5 4 5 0 588
2022 545 0 5 15 3 2 6 0 576
2023 549 2 5 15 3 1 6 0 581
2024 595 4 4 14 4 1 8 0 630

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Whitefish High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 495 33.2 14.9 14.1
1991 493 31.2 15.8 2.6
1992 530 31.0 17.0 7.2
1993 587 34.8 16.9 6.5
1994 634 36.0 17.6 5.7
1995 607 37.6 16.1 4.9
1996 607 37.6 16.1 4.9
1997 657 37.8 17.4 5.5
1998 660 40.0 16.5 4.8
1999 649 40.9 15.9 7.2
2000 678 42.2 16.1 5.6
2001 697 44.4 15.7 6.7
2002 697 43.3 16.1 7.6
2003 697 43.3 16.1 7.6
2004 674 44.1 15.3 10.5
2005 743 44.6 16.7 10.6
2006 725 45.9 15.8 8.1
2007 704 46.0 15.3 9.7
2008 641 46.5 13.8 9.5
2009 551 45.3 12.2 11.3
2010 510 42.7 11.9 12
2011 492 38.6 12.7 17.7
2012 500 34.8 14.3 16.6
2013 478 32.4 14.7 19.9
2014 497 33.8 14.6 20.7
2015 497 34.0 14.6 16.1
2016 480 34.0 14.1 22.3
2017 482 34.1 14.1 22
2018 484 34.0 14.2 22.7
2019 524 35.9 14.5 22.5
2020 579 38.3 15.0 21.1
2021 588 40.8 14.3 n/a
2022 576 42.0 13.7 n/a
2023 581 42.7 13.5 n/a
2024 630 42.6 14.7 23.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Whitefish High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 495 33.2 14.9 14.1
1991 493 31.2 15.8 2.6
1992 530 31.0 17.0 7.2
1993 587 34.8 16.9 6.5
1994 634 36.0 17.6 5.7
1995 607 37.6 16.1 4.9
1996 607 37.6 16.1 4.9
1997 657 37.8 17.4 5.5
1998 660 40.0 16.5 4.8
1999 649 40.9 15.9 7.2
2000 678 42.2 16.1 5.6
2001 697 44.4 15.7 6.7
2002 697 43.3 16.1 7.6
2003 697 43.3 16.1 7.6
2004 674 44.1 15.3 10.5
2005 743 44.6 16.7 10.6
2006 725 45.9 15.8 8.1
2007 704 46.0 15.3 9.7
2008 641 46.5 13.8 9.5
2009 551 45.3 12.2 11.3
2010 510 42.7 11.9 12
2011 492 38.6 12.7 17.7
2012 500 34.8 14.3 16.6
2013 478 32.4 14.7 19.9
2014 497 33.8 14.6 20.7
2015 497 34.0 14.6 16.1
2016 480 34.0 14.1 22.3
2017 482 34.1 14.1 22
2018 484 34.0 14.2 22.7
2019 524 35.9 14.5 22.5
2020 579 38.3 15.0 21.1
2021 588 40.8 14.3 n/a
2022 576 42.0 13.7 n/a
2023 581 42.7 13.5 n/a
2024 630 42.6 14.7 23.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whitefish High School

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $10,756
2021 $13,244
2022 $13,584
2023 $13,629
2024 $13,629

Data source: Montana Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Whitefish High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 3rd of 119 High schoolsRanks 9th of 124 High schools
 4.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students524581
 10.9%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian73
 57.1%
Asian25
 150%
Hispanic1315
 15.4%
Pacific Islander31
 66.7%
White492549
 11.6%
Two or More Races46
 50%

Schools Near Whitefish High School








Frequently Asked Questions about Whitefish High School

Students at Whitefish High School are 94% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Yes. Whitefish High School ranks in the top 6.6% of Montana high schools.

Whitefish High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bissell School
Elementary : L A Muldown School
Middle : Bissell 7-8
Middle : Whitefish Middle 5-8

In the 2023-24 school year, 630 students attended Whitefish High 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.




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