Glacier Gateway Elementary

Summary:

Glacier Gateway Elementary is a public elementary school located in Columbia Falls, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 473 students. The school is part of the Columbia Falls Elementary School District, which is ranked 161 out of 300 districts in Montana and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Glacier Gateway Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom half of Montana elementary schools, with proficiency rates in mathematics, reading, and science that are lower than the state and district averages. In 2022-2023, the school's proficiency rates were 29.8% in mathematics, 36.33% in reading, and 25% in science, compared to the state averages of 36.59%, 46.03%, and 37.03%, respectively. The school's student population is predominantly white, with relatively low percentages of Hispanic and Native American students compared to the state's demographics. However, the school's low student-teacher ratio of 13.5 to 14.7 students per teacher does not seem to translate into higher academic achievement.

When compared to nearby schools, West Glacier School and Edgerton School consistently outperform Glacier Gateway Elementary in academic measures, while Fair-Mont-Egan School and Ruder Elementary also demonstrate higher academic achievement. The relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients at Glacier Gateway Elementary may suggest a higher socioeconomic status of the student population, but this does not seem to be a significant factor in the school's academic performance. Overall, Glacier Gateway Elementary faces challenges in improving its academic outcomes, and a deeper examination of its educational practices and resources may be necessary to identify areas for improvement.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 440 4th Avenue West
       Columbia Falls, MT  59912


(406) 892-6540

District: Columbia Falls Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
250th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,615 Help


Students who attend Glacier Gateway Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Columbia Falls Junior High School
High:    Columbia Falls High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  473

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.8%
Two or more races:
6.8%
Hispanic:
5.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  56.2% Help


 See top rated Montana elementary schools

 Compare Glacier Gateway Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Glacier Gateway Elementary ranks worse than 75.3% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.39. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (85.8%), two or more races (6.8%), Hispanic (5.7%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Glacier Gateway Elementary is 13.7. (See more...)
Help
Compare Glacier Gateway Elementary employs 34.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Glacier Gateway Elementary is $12,615.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Glacier Gateway Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Columbia Falls Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Falls Elementary 161st of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Glacier Gateway Elementary?

Rank History for Glacier Gateway Elementary

Help
Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MT State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 41.67 141st 217 35.0%
2005 19.52 192nd 218 11.9%
2006 32.51 195th 234 16.7%
2007 39.44 175th 230 23.9%
2008 37.54 153rd 194 21.1%
2009 41.53 139th 190 26.8%
2010 42.85 171st 241 29.0%
2011 42.63 169th 247 31.6%
2012 42.02 177th 244 27.5%
2013 37.95 181st 246 26.4%
2015 32.27 208th 287 27.5%
2016 33.97 137th 191 28.3%
2017 32.20 76th 109 30.3%
2018 20.01 101st 116 12.9%
2019 23.76 99th 123 19.5%
2021 35.12 261st 356 26.7%
2022 33.33 257th 329 21.9%
2023 32.39 250th 332 24.7%
See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Glacier Gateway Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Glacier Gateway Elementary.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Glacier Gateway Elementary, submit a rating!


Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Glacier Gateway Elementary

Help
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 453 453
1991 286 0 3 2 19 n/a n/a 0 310
1992 315 1 2 4 11 n/a n/a 0 333
1993 305 3 3 5 15 n/a n/a 0 331
1994 278 2 1 4 8 n/a n/a 0 293
1995 262 1 1 4 9 n/a n/a 0 277
1996 262 1 1 4 9 n/a n/a 0 277
1997 214 1 2 3 8 n/a n/a 0 228
1998 381 4 9 10 12 n/a n/a 0 416
1999 397 1 10 8 11 n/a n/a 0 427
2000 387 3 6 4 21 n/a n/a 0 421
2001 374 0 2 17 13 n/a n/a 0 406
2002 375 2 2 14 19 n/a n/a 0 412
2003 375 2 2 14 19 n/a n/a 0 412
2004 372 2 3 13 18 n/a n/a 0 408
2005 372 4 2 17 19 n/a n/a 0 414
2006 365 3 4 14 27 n/a n/a 0 413
2007 380 2 8 13 19 n/a n/a 0 422
2008 413 4 9 17 17 n/a n/a 0 460
2009 399 9 8 14 20 n/a n/a 0 450
2010 395 8 10 16 12 n/a n/a 0 441
2011 399 3 4 18 8 1 12 0 445
2012 416 2 4 16 9 1 14 0 462
2013 411 1 4 18 9 1 22 0 466
2014 408 1 4 25 11 1 29 0 479
2015 414 2 6 18 12 1 28 0 481
2016 424 0 4 15 13 1 24 0 481
2017 452 0 1 17 10 1 21 0 502
2018 449 0 1 21 10 2 30 0 513
2019 417 0 1 28 9 1 30 0 486
2020 425 0 0 29 5 3 31 0 493
2021 409 0 0 30 5 0 22 0 466
2022 439 0 0 26 5 1 31 0 502
2023 406 0 0 27 7 1 32 0 473

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 Glacier Gateway Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 453 24.2 18.7 20.3
1991 310 13.4 23.1 6.5
1992 333 12.0 27.7 n/a
1993 331 17.3 19.1 29.6
1994 293 14.0 20.9 32.1
1995 277 14.0 19.8 32.5
1996 277 14.0 19.8 32.5
1997 228 10.9 20.9 29.8
1998 416 19.5 21.3 26.7
1999 427 19.5 21.9 41.7
2000 421 21.5 19.6 37.8
2001 406 22.5 18.0 37.2
2002 412 21.5 19.2 36.2
2003 412 21.5 19.2 36.2
2004 408 23.0 17.7 43.1
2005 414 23.0 18.0 43.2
2006 413 26.5 15.6 47.5
2007 422 25.0 16.9 41.2
2008 460 29.3 15.7 47.2
2009 450 29.6 15.2 48.7
2010 441 29.7 14.8 57.1
2011 445 28.4 15.6 60
2012 462 28.3 16.3 53.9
2013 466 29.7 15.6 61.8
2014 479 30.5 15.7 57.2
2015 481 29.0 16.5 61.5
2016 481 32.0 15.0 56.3
2017 502 30.7 16.3 50.8
2018 513 31.1 16.4 56.7
2019 486 30.5 15.9 60.5
2020 493 32.5 15.1 56.2
2021 466 34.5 13.5 n/a
2022 502 34.0 14.7 n/a
2023 473 34.5 13.7 n/a

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 Glacier Gateway Elementary

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1990 453 24.2 18.7 20.3
1991 310 13.4 23.1 6.5
1992 333 12.0 27.7 n/a
1993 331 17.3 19.1 29.6
1994 293 14.0 20.9 32.1
1995 277 14.0 19.8 32.5
1996 277 14.0 19.8 32.5
1997 228 10.9 20.9 29.8
1998 416 19.5 21.3 26.7
1999 427 19.5 21.9 41.7
2000 421 21.5 19.6 37.8
2001 406 22.5 18.0 37.2
2002 412 21.5 19.2 36.2
2003 412 21.5 19.2 36.2
2004 408 23.0 17.7 43.1
2005 414 23.0 18.0 43.2
2006 413 26.5 15.6 47.5
2007 422 25.0 16.9 41.2
2008 460 29.3 15.7 47.2
2009 450 29.6 15.2 48.7
2010 441 29.7 14.8 57.1
2011 445 28.4 15.6 60
2012 462 28.3 16.3 53.9
2013 466 29.7 15.6 61.8
2014 479 30.5 15.7 57.2
2015 481 29.0 16.5 61.5
2016 481 32.0 15.0 56.3
2017 502 30.7 16.3 50.8
2018 513 31.1 16.4 56.7
2019 486 30.5 15.9 60.5
2020 493 32.5 15.1 56.2
2021 466 34.5 13.5 n/a
2022 502 34.0 14.7 n/a
2023 473 34.5 13.7 n/a

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 Glacier Gateway Elementary

Help

YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2021 $11,992
2022 $11,985
2023 $12,615

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Glacier Gateway Elementary

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 99th of 123 Elementary schoolsRanks 250th of 332 Elementary schools
 5.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students486473
 2.7%
African American00
American Indian97
 22.2%
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic2827
 3.6%
Pacific Islander11
White417406
 2.6%
Two or More Races3032
 6.7%


Schools Near Glacier Gateway Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Glacier Gateway Elementary

Students at Glacier Gateway Elementary are 86% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

Students who attend Glacier Gateway Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Columbia Falls Junior High School
High : Columbia Falls High School

Glacier Gateway Elementary ranks in the bottom 24.7% of Montana elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 473 students attended Glacier Gateway Elementary.


Rate Glacier Gateway Elementary!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Glacier Gateway Elementary!




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.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 67 milliseconds.