Deer Park School

Q: Is Deer Park School a good school?

Deer Park School ranks 45 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Deer Park School is an elementary school located in Columbia Falls, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 136 students. The school is part of the Columbia Falls Elementary district, which is ranked 40 out of 300 districts in Montana and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Deer Park School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Montana, with a statewide ranking of 45 out of 332 schools in the 2022-2023 school year and a 5-star rating in the previous two school years. The school's proficiency rates in Mathematics, Reading, and Science are all higher than the state averages. Additionally, Deer Park School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.9, which is lower than most of the nearby schools like Edgerton School and Creston School. However, the school's racial makeup is notably different from the nearby schools, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (94.12%).

While Deer Park School is a high-performing school, there may be opportunities to further improve its academic outcomes, particularly in areas where nearby schools are outperforming it, such as in Science proficiency. For example, Creston School and Edgerton School also demonstrate high academic achievement, with proficiency rates exceeding those of Deer Park School in certain subject areas. Overall, Deer Park School is a strong-performing elementary school that consistently ranks among the top schools in Montana, and its unique demographic profile and academic success make it an interesting case to study and potentially learn from for other schools in the region.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2105 Middle Road
Columbia Falls, MT 59912

(406) 892-5388

District: Deer Park Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
45^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,286

Students who attend Deer Park School usually attend:

Middle:	Deer Park 6-8
High:	Flathead High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 125

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.2%

Hispanic:

3.2%

American Indian:

0.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 2.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Deer Park School ranks better than 86.4% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.59. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (95.2%), Hispanic (3.2%), American Indian (0.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 2.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Deer Park School is 13.1. (See more...)

Compare Deer Park School employs 9.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Deer Park School is $9,286.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Deer Park School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Deer Park Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Deer Park Elementary 40^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Deer Park School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2005	71.45	56^th	218	74.3%
2006	35.06	186^th	234	20.5%
2007	51.46	131^st	230	43.0%
2008	48.58	117^th	194	39.7%
2015	25.90	229^th	287	20.2%
2016	59.94	73^rd	191	61.8%
2021	94.38	19^th	356	94.7%
2022	94.43	18^th	329	94.5%
2023	85.59	45^th	332	86.4%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Lack of extracurricular activities, no resources to do anything other than the basics. This school shouldn't even be open! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Deer Park School

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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	106	106
1991	85	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	85
1992	71	0	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	72
1993	67	0	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	68
1994	70	0	0	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	74
1995	90	0	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	95
1996	90	0	4	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	95
1997	93	0	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	97
1998	77	0	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	80
1999	85	0	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	91
2000	96	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	100
2001	95	0	1	0	6	n/a	n/a	0	102
2002	80	0	1	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	88
2003	80	0	1	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	88
2004	75	0	1	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	81
2005	70	1	2	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	77
2006	77	2	3	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	84
2007	79	0	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	84
2008	68	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	71
2009	65	0	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	69
2010	45	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	48
2011	41	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	44
2012	52	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	56
2013	61	0	1	4	1	1	0	0	68
2014	72	0	0	6	1	1	0	0	80
2015	78	0	0	4	1	1	0	0	84
2016	100	0	0	5	1	0	0	0	106
2017	110	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	113
2018	131	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	134
2019	120	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	122
2020	135	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	138
2021	109	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	112
2022	106	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	109
2023	128	0	0	4	0	0	4	0	136
2024	119	0	0	4	1	0	1	0	125

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 Deer Park School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	106	8.8	12.0	n/a
1991	85	5.4	15.7	0
1992	72	4.7	15.3	n/a
1993	68	5.0	13.6	0
1994	74	4.6	16.1	0
1995	95	6.0	15.8	1.1
1996	95	6.0	15.8	1.1
1997	97	5.7	17.0	0
1998	80	5.3	15.1	0
1999	91	5.3	17.2	12.1
2000	100	5.4	18.5	13
2001	102	5.2	19.6	0
2002	88	6.6	13.3	9.1
2003	88	6.6	13.3	9.1
2004	81	6.6	12.3	7.4
2005	77	6.2	12.4	10.4
2006	84	6.2	13.5	8.3
2007	84	7.4	11.4	16.7
2008	71	7.1	10.0	16.9
2009	69	7.5	9.2	14.5
2010	48	7.2	6.6	12.5
2011	44	6.0	7.3	13.6
2012	56	6.0	9.2	25
2013	68	5.7	11.8	26.5
2014	80	7.0	11.3	25
2015	84	7.0	12.0	0
2016	106	8.0	13.2	0
2017	113	9.5	11.8	34.5
2018	134	10.4	12.8	33.6
2019	122	9.6	12.5	31.1
2020	138	9.4	14.6	25.4
2021	112	9.5	11.7	n/a
2022	109	12.1	9.0	n/a
2023	136	9.1	14.9	n/a
2024	125	9.5	13.1	2.4

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 Deer Park School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	106	8.8	12.0	n/a
1991	85	5.4	15.7	0
1992	72	4.7	15.3	n/a
1993	68	5.0	13.6	0
1994	74	4.6	16.1	0
1995	95	6.0	15.8	1.1
1996	95	6.0	15.8	1.1
1997	97	5.7	17.0	0
1998	80	5.3	15.1	0
1999	91	5.3	17.2	12.1
2000	100	5.4	18.5	13
2001	102	5.2	19.6	0
2002	88	6.6	13.3	9.1
2003	88	6.6	13.3	9.1
2004	81	6.6	12.3	7.4
2005	77	6.2	12.4	10.4
2006	84	6.2	13.5	8.3
2007	84	7.4	11.4	16.7
2008	71	7.1	10.0	16.9
2009	69	7.5	9.2	14.5
2010	48	7.2	6.6	12.5
2011	44	6.0	7.3	13.6
2012	56	6.0	9.2	25
2013	68	5.7	11.8	26.5
2014	80	7.0	11.3	25
2015	84	7.0	12.0	0
2016	106	8.0	13.2	0
2017	113	9.5	11.8	34.5
2018	134	10.4	12.8	33.6
2019	122	9.6	12.5	31.1
2020	138	9.4	14.6	25.4
2021	112	9.5	11.7	n/a
2022	109	12.1	9.0	n/a
2023	136	9.1	14.9	n/a
2024	125	9.5	13.1	2.4

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 Deer Park School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$10,918
2022	$10,481
2023	$9,286

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Deer Park 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	122	136	11.5%
African American	0	0
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	2	4	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	120	128	6.7%
Two or More Races	0	4

Schools Near Deer Park School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2023)	Montana State Tests Reading (2023)	Montana State Tests Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science All Grades	Total
Deer Park School	Public	PK, KG-5	2105 Middle Road	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Deer Park Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-5388	125	10	13.1	2.4%	119 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	85.6	45^th of 332 public elementary schools	86.4%		94.4	18^th of 329 public elementary schools	94.5%	27	52.9	64.7	52.9	$9,286
Helena Flats School	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 Helena Flats Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Helena Flats Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 257-2301	240	16	15.2	18.8%	221 (92.1%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.5%)	5 (2.1%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	54.4	169^th of 332 public elementary schools	49.1%		35.5	250^th of 329 public elementary schools	24.0%	81	30.0	50.0	40.9	$8,998
Cayuse Prairie School	Public	PK, KG-6	897 Lake Blaine Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Cayuse Prairie Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 756-4560	259	17	15.0	36.3%	244 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)	78.6	71^st of 332 public elementary schools	78.6%		50.2	195^th of 329 public elementary schools	40.7%	124	45.6	59.6	51.4	$10,921
Ruder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 12th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6570	546	37	14.7	62.5%	461 (84.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.2%)	61.5	135^th of 332 public elementary schools	59.3%		57.7	160^th of 329 public elementary schools	51.4%	25	43.7	46.4	40.4	$11,107
Glacier Gateway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	440 4th Avenue West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6540	496	34	14.8	69.4%	416 (83.9%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.3%)	32.4	250^th of 332 public elementary schools	24.7%		33.3	257^th of 329 public elementary schools	21.9%	7	29.8	36.3	25.0	$12,615
East Evergreen School	Public	PK, KG-4	585 E. Evergreen	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Evergreen Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-1121	351	27	13.2	100.0%	289 (82.3%)	2 (0.6%)	32 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	23 (6.6%)	38.3	230^th of 332 public elementary schools	30.7%		57.8	158^th of 329 public elementary schools	52.0%	72	35.9	31.7		$14,696
Fair-Mont-Egan School	Public	PK, KG-5	797 Fairmont Road	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Fair-Mont-Egan Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-7072	101	10	10.6	25.7%	92 (91.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	4 (4.0%)	73.3	89^th of 332 public elementary schools	73.2%		67	129^th of 329 public elementary schools	60.8%	40	48.9	46.7	53.9	$18,681
Creston School	Public	PK, KG-6	4495 Montana 35	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Creston Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 755-2859	104	10	10.4		82 (78.8%)	1 (1.0%)	14 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.8%)	89.9	29^th of 332 public elementary schools	91.3%		88.3	38^th of 329 public elementary schools	88.4%	9	61.4	57.1	80.0	$9,121
Edgerton School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Whitefish Stage	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 751-4040	509	29	17.5	30.5%	443 (87.0%)	5 (1.0%)	23 (4.5%)	5 (1.0%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	81.7	57^th of 332 public elementary schools	82.8%		88.8	36^th of 329 public elementary schools	89.1%	21	56.1	54.0	53.9	$10,761
Russell School	Public	PK, KG-5	227 West Nevada	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Kalispell Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3900	216	16	13.5	100.0%	181 (83.8%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.2%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.9%)	1 (0.5%)	18 (8.3%)	76.8	80^th of 332 public elementary schools	75.9%		80.9	75^th of 329 public elementary schools	77.2%	5	47.5	51.0	56.8	$12,659

Frequently Asked Questions about Deer Park School

What is the racial makeup of Deer Park School?

Students at Deer Park School are 95% White, 3% Hispanic.

How many students attend Deer Park School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 125 students attended Deer Park School.

What schools do graduates of Deer Park School attend?

Students who attend Deer Park School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Deer Park 6-8
High : Flathead High School

What district is Deer Park School in?

Deer Park Elementary

Is Deer Park School a good school?

Deer Park School ranks 45^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.