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A

West Valley Elementary School District

Public school districtGrades PK–8

Serves Kalispell.

Kalispell’s School Grade A− better than 76% of Montana school districts

Students
806
Schools
2
Spent per student
$9,716
MT $13,570
Students per teacher
18:1
Free or reduced lunch
33%
Debt
$4.2M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about West Valley Elementary School District

  • Its letter, A: results better than 88% of Montana districts
  • Math proficiency 13 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 15 pts above the state
  • Spends 28% less per student than the MT average
  • 18 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 13.4% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $4.2M, about $5,221 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A: better than 88% of the 241 Montana school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well above the state, 2021–22
A
The town it serves, and its School Grade
A−Kalispell 31,851

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Kalispell. Grade by grade →

PK–56 elementary schoolsKalispell Elementary School District
6–8Kalispell Middle SchoolKalispell Elementary School District
9–124 high schoolsFlathead High School District

Test scores vs. MT

2021–22
Math proficiency48%
State average 35.2% · 512 students tested
Reading / language arts61%
State average 45.7% · 512 students tested

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Graduation rate 81% at Flathead High School District, which runs the high school (state 85.5%) · class of 2023.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$9,716 per student · 28% below MT
Spending
Classroom instruction 65%Support & administration 31%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 44%State 53%Federal 3%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
711’20
766’21
762’22
764’23
806’24

Up 13.4% since 2020–21.

Students
White 89%Hispanic 5%Two or more races 4%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Black <1%

Schools in the district

2 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Montana’s other public schools.

West Valley School
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Kalispell
A
434 students18:1
West Valley Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Kalispell
A−
372 students19:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Montana.