Public schools in Great Falls, MT
22 open public schools with an address in Great Falls, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
22
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
9,906
22 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
14.6:1
Montana median 11.8:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Great Falls public schools
The federal directory lists 22 public schools in Great Falls, MT: 17 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high. The 22 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 9,906 students, an average of 450 per school. The largest campus is Great Falls High School (1,548 students), and the largest elementary school is Meadow Lark School (527).
Great Falls Elem operates the most schools here (17), and 3 regular districts have at least one Great Falls campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 14.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 11.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 55% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Great Falls
Elementary schools in Great Falls
17| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Joseph School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 260 | 12.1:1 | |
| CORE School at Morningside El Great Falls Elem | KG–06 | 297 | 14:1 | |
| Giant Springs Elementary Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 431 | 14.5:1 | |
| Grass Land Colony School Centerville Elem | PK–08 | 21 | 10.3:1 | |
| Lewis & Clark School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 338 | 19.2:1 | |
| Lincoln School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 373 | 15.6:1 | |
| Longfellow School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 263 | 12.2:1 | |
| Loy School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 392 | 17.6:1 | |
| Meadow Lark School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 527 | 20.1:1 | |
| Mountain View School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 315 | 9.8:1 | |
| MT Sch For Deaf & Blnd El Mont Sch for Deaf Blind · Special Education School | PK–08 | 20 | 1.9:1 | |
| Riverview School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 445 | 21.2:1 | |
| Sacajawea School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 405 | 17.8:1 | |
| Sunnyside School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 396 | 15.7:1 | |
| Valley View School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 312 | 14.7:1 | |
| West Elementary Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 421 | 13.8:1 | |
| Whittier School Great Falls Elem | PK–06 | 187 | 10.7:1 |
Middle schools in Great Falls
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School Great Falls Elem | 07–08 | 764 | 13.5:1 | |
| North Middle School Great Falls Elem | 07–08 | 764 | 14.9:1 |
High schools in Great Falls
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C M Russell High School Great Falls H S | 09–12 | 1,412 | 16.3:1 | |
| Great Falls High School Great Falls H S | 09–12 | 1,548 | 15.1:1 | |
| MT Sch For Deaf & Blnd HS Mont Sch for Deaf Blind · Special Education School | 09–12 | 15 | 1.4:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White70.6%
- Hispanic8.6%
- Black1.1%
- Asian0.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native7%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial11.7%
Enrollment-weighted across 22 Great Falls schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (9,906 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Great Falls
How many public schools are in Great Falls, MT?
The current NCES directory lists 22 open public schools with a location address in Great Falls: 17 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high. Together they reported 9,906 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Great Falls?
Schools with an address in Great Falls belong to 4 education agencies, led by Great Falls Elem (17 schools), Great Falls H S (2 schools), Mont Sch for Deaf Blind (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Great Falls?
Great Falls High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Great Falls, with 1,548 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Great Falls?
No school with an address in Great Falls is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Montana.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Great Falls schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Great Falls public schools is 14.6:1, higher than the Montana school median of 11.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Great Falls guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Montana cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Montana cities