Enrollment in Flathead County public, private and home schools declined for the third consecutive year while still reflecting growth over the decade. 

According to the 2025 Statistical Report of Schools, released in December by the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools, total enrollment fell by 333 students, compared to 2024. This represents a 2% year-over-year decrease, bringing total enrollment in the valley to 16,917 students.  

Despite the downturn, enrollment countywide has increased by 1,215 students compared to 2016, an 8% increase 

The data is taken from the official fall enrollment count conducted in October each year. A second count is taken each February, and the two figures are averaged and used in a funding formula that determines how much state funding a public school district receives. Because funding is tied to student numbers, even slight enrollment shifts can have significant financial implications, particularly for smaller districts. More students enrolled means more state dollars. 

The state funding formula is currently under review by the School Funding Interim Commission as part of Montana’s legally required decennial study. The purpose of the study is to reevaluate whether the funding formula meets the state’s constitutional obligation to provide a free, quality public elementary and secondary education.  

In addition to enrollment figures, the countywide report includes information on out-of-district attendance, per-pupil expenditures, state and local funding comparisons, levies, and market and taxable values. 

Public elementary district enrollment 

There are 19 public elementary districts (grades kindergarten up to eighth grade) in Flathead County and four public high school districts (grades ninth through 12th).  

Year-over-year, K-8 enrollment in public schools decreased by 157 students, or 2%, for a countywide total of 11,975. Over 10 years, enrollment in elementary districts increased by 66 students overall, representing a 5% change. 

Among the 19 public elementary districts, only four experienced year-over-year enrollment growth compared to 2024. At one school, Pleasant Valley School, enrollment remained unchanged. 

Columbia Falls’ elementary district saw the largest decrease, losing 64 students, a 4% decrease, for a total enrollment of 1,431. Despite that drop, the elementary district only experienced a decrease of four students over the past decade. 

Whitefish experienced a decrease of 45 K-8 students, or 3%. Total enrollment stands at 1,291 students. The decrease is balanced by an overall gain of 66 students, representing a 5% increase, over 10 years.  

Despite a year-over-year decrease of eight students, or 3%, West Valley underwent the largest increase over a 10-year period, absorbing an additional 202 students, a 34% change. Total enrollment stands at 793 K-8 students. 

West Valley Superintendent Richard Gross said that total enrollment numbers do not fully capture the operational realities districts face. 

“Looking at whole total enrollment for us doesn’t tell the whole story,” Gross said. 

“We need to look at grade level trends,” he added. “Year-to-year does help a little bit, but it’s better to look at the last three years for staffing [purposes].” 

State mandated class sizes mean staffing decisions are driven primarily by enrollment at each grade level. Building capacity and classroom availability also influences how many classes a grade is divided into. 

Year-over-year, Cayuse Prairie School gained the most individual students, 16, out of the elementary districts, representing a 5% increase, followed by Kila School’s gain of 15 students, an 8% increase.  

Second to West Valley, Cayuse Prairie saw the biggest increase over a 10-year period, absorbing 83 more students, representing a 35% increase.  

The growth, however, has created challenges for the rural school. Some grades are hovering near or exceeding state mandated class size limits. For grades fifth through eighth, the maximum class size is 30 students.  Cayuse Prairie currently has 33 fifth graders.  

“Ideally, we would get another teacher to split that grade," Cayuse Prairie Superintendent and Principal Amy Piazzola said.  

The school is currently trying to hire an additional fifth-grade teacher. 

“It’s hard to hire once the school year has started, to find quality people,” she said.  

The district also faced unexpected pressure at the kindergarten level with nearly 10 students enrolling during an open house just days before the first day of school Aug. 25, according to Piazzola. Last-minute kindergarten enrollment is an issue many districts face, which can make staffing challenging. 

 Although kindergarten enrollment decreased from 29 to 25 students year-over-year, Cayuse Prairie had planned to add another teacher. The school intended to reassign an existing staff member, but that teacher took a position at Kalispell Public Schools, Piazzola said. The state mandate caps class sizes at 20 students in kindergarten, first and second grade. 

To comply with state mandates, the school has allocated additional paraprofessional time to the kindergarten classroom and installed a divider to create separation for small group instruction.  

“One thing we will be bringing to the board is looking at our out-of-district language used to say we wouldn’t bring in anyone out-of-district if it’s two students less than the required amount [state mandate] in a class,” Piazzola said, or five students.  

Out-of-district attendance rules were revised in 2023 through House Bill 203, which aimed to expand school choice in Montana. Under the law, districts must accept out-of-district students unless there are extenuating circumstances where enrollment would exceed building capacity, for example, or hindered a district's ability to meet adopted educational standards or goals, or jeopardize academic quality, such as in cases involving prior expulsion or suspension. 

Cayuse Prairie will hold a general levy election this spring to help cover day-to-day operating costs while maintaining staffing levels, programming and manageable class sizes. The amount of the request is still being discussed. 

Kalispell Public Schools’ had a negligible K-8 enrollment decrease of six students compared to the 2024 fall count, representing a zero percent change. Over a 10-year period, enrollment fell by 12 students, also representing a zero percent change. Total enrollment in Kalispell’s elementary district stands at 3,028 students. 

Public high school enrollment

There are 4,614 students enrolled across Flathead County’s four public high school districts. That means 44 fewer students, a 1% decrease.  

Following the same trend as the elementary districts, the high school districts experienced overall growth over a 10-year period. Combined, enrollment increased by 348 students, representing an 8% change. 

Among the four public high school districts, only Whitefish saw year-over-year growth. Whitefish High School gained 40 students, a 6% increase, reaching a 10-year high of 669 total students. This is a 39% increase of 187 more students. 

In September 2024, Whitefish voters approved a $26.5 million bond issue and a $6.1 million bond issue to expand the high school and athletic complex.    

Percentwise, Columbia Falls High School experienced the largest decrease at 5%, or 36 fewer students. Kalispell’s two high schools combined, and Bigfork High School saw a 1% enrollment decrease. For Kalispell, this means 43 fewer students attending Flathead and Glacier high schools and five fewer students at Bigfork High School 

Over 10 years, however, Bigfork saw an 8% overall increase with 25 more students, and Kalispell’s two high schools combined saw a 4% increase, gaining 121 students. 

Private and homeschool enrollment

Flathead County has seven active private elementary schools, in addition to the homeschooled student population. 

Year-over-year, private and homeschool K-8 enrollment decreased by 124 students, or 6%, bringing the total to 1,870. Only two private schools, Whitefish Christian Academy and Kalispell Montessori, saw modest increases of 17 and 12 students, respectively.   

Contributing to that overall decrease was among homeschooled students. According to the report, there are 68 fewer homeschooled elementary students, representing a 7% decrease, bringing total enrollment to 942. 

Despite the year-over-year decrease, compared to 10 years ago, there are 376 more K-8 students being homeschooled in the valley, a 66% increase.   

At the high school level, homeschool enrollment stands at 227, down 12 students, or 5%, from 2024. Over a decade, however, the number of high school students who are homeschooled grew by 97 students, a 75% increase. 

St. Matthew’s Catholic School experienced a significant decrease of 68 K-8 students year-over-year. Enrollment now stands at 180 students, a 27% decrease from 2024’s decade high enrollment of 224 students. 

Stillwater Christian School, which announced a $5 million donation from local businessman Paul Wachholz for a building expansion in 2024, gained one elementary student and two high school students, compared to the 2024 fall enrollment count. Stillwater’s last major building expansion added six high school classrooms to the school in 2015. 

Compared to 2016, elementary enrollment at Stillwater increased by 42 K-8 students, an 18% change, while decreasing by two high school students, or 2%.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].