Chief Joseph School

Q: Is Chief Joseph School a good school?

Chief Joseph School ranks 138 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Chief Joseph School is an elementary school in Great Falls, Montana, serving 268 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Great Falls Elementary District, which is ranked 162 out of 300 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating.

Chief Joseph School has consistently outperformed the district and state in academic proficiency, with 49.29% of students proficient or better in Mathematics and Reading, compared to 35.13% and 43.92% for the district, respectively. The school's Science proficiency rate of 32.35% was also higher than the district's 41.42% and the state's 37.03%. This strong academic performance has earned Chief Joseph a high statewide ranking, reaching as high as 12th out of 116 Montana elementary schools in 2017-2018 with a 5-star rating. In the most recent year, the school ranked 138th out of 332 elementary schools with a 3-star rating.

Another notable aspect of Chief Joseph School is its diverse student population, with a higher percentage of non-White students compared to nearby schools like Sunnyside School, Longfellow School, Whittier School, and Mountain View School. In the 2022-2023 school year, Chief Joseph's student body was 64.93% White, 11.57% Hispanic, 4.85% Native American, and 16.04% two or more races.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

5305 3rd Avenue South
Great Falls, MT 59405

(406) 268-6675

District: Great Falls Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
138^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,502

Students who attend Chief Joseph School usually attend:

Middle:	East Middle School
High:	Great Falls High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.0

Number of students: 262

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.8%

Two or more races:

14.9%

Hispanic:

7.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Chief Joseph School ranks better than 58.4% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 6^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.67. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.8%), two or more races (14.9%), Hispanic (7.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chief Joseph School is 13, which is the 3^rd best among 15 elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Chief Joseph School employs 20.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chief Joseph School is $13,502, which is the 3^rd highest among 15 elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Chief Joseph School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Great Falls Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Great Falls Elementary 162^nd of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chief Joseph School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	84.34	28^th	217	87.1%
2005	82.13	32^nd	218	85.3%
2006	65.72	74^th	234	68.4%
2007	74.59	35^th	230	84.8%
2008	66.99	63^rd	194	67.5%
2009	49.40	121^st	190	36.3%
2010	54.99	121^st	241	49.8%
2011	54.95	132^nd	247	46.6%
2012	55.28	121^st	244	50.4%
2013	55.88	125^th	246	49.2%
2015	67.50	104^th	287	63.8%
2016	88.42	21^st	191	89.0%
2018	83.31	12^th	116	89.7%
2019	75.94	25^th	123	79.7%
2021	72.80	106^th	356	70.2%
2022	53.86	180^th	329	45.3%
2023	60.67	138^th	332	58.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Chief Joseph 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	354	354
1991	286	16	14	10	16	n/a	n/a	0	342
1992	344	15	16	7	23	n/a	n/a	0	405
1993	307	13	8	5	14	n/a	n/a	0	347
1994	291	7	3	6	15	n/a	n/a	0	322
1995	299	10	10	6	13	n/a	n/a	0	338
1996	299	10	10	6	13	n/a	n/a	0	338
1997	260	12	4	5	8	n/a	n/a	0	289
1998	270	7	1	6	15	n/a	n/a	0	299
1999	269	12	1	6	22	n/a	n/a	0	310
2000	256	15	3	11	23	n/a	n/a	0	308
2001	226	16	5	11	15	n/a	n/a	0	273
2002	213	9	4	9	9	n/a	n/a	0	244
2003	213	9	4	9	9	n/a	n/a	0	244
2004	205	9	8	9	10	n/a	n/a	0	241
2005	179	13	6	12	18	n/a	n/a	0	228
2006	207	16	6	17	24	n/a	n/a	0	270
2007	219	24	5	18	22	n/a	n/a	0	288
2008	216	17	3	13	22	n/a	n/a	0	271
2009	205	15	2	12	28	n/a	n/a	0	262
2010	230	16	2	10	26	n/a	n/a	0	284
2011	236	10	3	11	33	0	0	0	293
2012	232	16	5	6	27	1	0	0	287
2013	234	20	11	12	23	1	15	0	316
2014	247	19	9	12	22	2	22	0	333
2015	224	21	10	19	18	1	28	0	321
2016	235	12	9	22	9	0	33	0	320
2017	235	14	6	20	8	0	32	0	315
2018	216	7	3	25	17	1	33	0	302
2019	209	10	4	28	11	0	29	0	291
2020	199	11	5	30	12	0	32	0	289
2021	189	11	4	25	9	0	35	0	273
2022	188	7	4	36	8	0	39	0	282
2023	174	4	2	31	13	1	43	0	268
2024	183	3	1	20	16	0	39	0	262

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 Chief Joseph School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	354	31.4	11.2	18.9
1991	342	15.0	22.8	14
1992	405	13.5	30.0	24.4
1993	347	19.0	18.3	22.2
1994	322	17.4	18.5	23.3
1995	338	18.4	18.4	26.3
1996	338	18.4	18.4	26.3
1997	289	18.4	15.7	27.7
1998	299	17.6	17.0	27.4
1999	310	19.1	16.2	37.4
2000	308	21.2	14.5	41.2
2001	273	20.6	13.3	41
2002	244	17.7	13.8	36.9
2003	244	17.7	13.8	36.9
2004	241	18.3	13.2	33.2
2005	228	18.0	12.7	39.9
2006	270	20.5	13.2	39.3
2007	288	20.6	14.0	42.7
2008	271	20.9	13.0	50.6
2009	262	21.8	12.0	51.5
2010	284	21.2	13.3	45.4
2011	293	22.9	12.7	45.4
2012	287	21.9	13.1	48.8
2013	316	23.3	13.5	49.1
2014	333	22.5	14.7	48.6
2015	321	22.0	14.5	50.8
2016	320	23.0	13.9	54.7
2017	315	22.2	14.1	53
2018	302	25.4	11.8	61.6
2019	291	23.1	12.5	59.1
2020	289	22.4	12.8	52.9
2021	273	22.0	12.4	n/a
2022	282	23.5	12.0	n/a
2023	268	22.5	11.9	n/a
2024	262	20.1	13.0	59.2

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 Chief Joseph School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	354	31.4	11.2	18.9
1991	342	15.0	22.8	14
1992	405	13.5	30.0	24.4
1993	347	19.0	18.3	22.2
1994	322	17.4	18.5	23.3
1995	338	18.4	18.4	26.3
1996	338	18.4	18.4	26.3
1997	289	18.4	15.7	27.7
1998	299	17.6	17.0	27.4
1999	310	19.1	16.2	37.4
2000	308	21.2	14.5	41.2
2001	273	20.6	13.3	41
2002	244	17.7	13.8	36.9
2003	244	17.7	13.8	36.9
2004	241	18.3	13.2	33.2
2005	228	18.0	12.7	39.9
2006	270	20.5	13.2	39.3
2007	288	20.6	14.0	42.7
2008	271	20.9	13.0	50.6
2009	262	21.8	12.0	51.5
2010	284	21.2	13.3	45.4
2011	293	22.9	12.7	45.4
2012	287	21.9	13.1	48.8
2013	316	23.3	13.5	49.1
2014	333	22.5	14.7	48.6
2015	321	22.0	14.5	50.8
2016	320	23.0	13.9	54.7
2017	315	22.2	14.1	53
2018	302	25.4	11.8	61.6
2019	291	23.1	12.5	59.1
2020	289	22.4	12.8	52.9
2021	273	22.0	12.4	n/a
2022	282	23.5	12.0	n/a
2023	268	22.5	11.9	n/a
2024	262	20.1	13.0	59.2

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 Chief Joseph School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$12,944
2022	$14,390
2023	$13,502

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chief Joseph 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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 25^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 138^th of 332 Elementary schools	21.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	291	268	7.9%
African American	10	4	60%
American Indian	11	13	18.2%
Asian	4	2	50%
Hispanic	28	31	10.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	209	174	16.7%
Two or More Races	29	43	48.3%

Schools Near Chief Joseph 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
Chief Joseph School	Public	PK, KG-6	5305 3rd Avenue South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-6675	262	20	13.0	59.2%	183 (69.8%)	3 (1.1%)	20 (7.6%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (14.9%)	60.7	138^th of 332 public elementary schools	58.4%		53.9	180^th of 329 public elementary schools	45.3%	42	49.3	49.3	32.4	$13,502
Loy School	Public	PK, KG-6	501 57th Street North	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-6885	405	26	15.4	32.8%	263 (64.9%)	19 (4.7%)	57 (14.1%)	9 (2.2%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (12.6%)	66.1	119^th of 332 public elementary schools	64.2%		87.2	50^th of 329 public elementary schools	84.8%	69	40.7	50.6	45.5	$11,256
MT School For Deaf & Blnd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	3911 Central Ave	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Mont School for Deaf Blind	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 771-6017	19	10	1.9	100.0%	15 (78.9%)	1 (5.3%)	1 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)								(n/a)
Lewis & Clark School	Public	PK, KG-6	3800 1st Avenue South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-6705	326	19	17.1	59.8%	245 (75.2%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.2%)	39.9	227^th of 332 public elementary schools	31.6%		49.7	200^th of 329 public elementary schools	39.2%	27	30.3	38.5	32.8	$11,811
Morningside School	Public	PK, KG-6	4119 7th Avenue North	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-6960	204	15	13.7	63.7%	138 (67.6%)	1 (0.5%)	19 (9.3%)	1 (0.5%)	15 (7.4%)	1 (0.5%)	29 (14.2%)	51.3	185^th of 332 public elementary schools	44.3%		58.8	153^rd of 329 public elementary schools	53.5%	32	32.8	41.0	42.9	$14,155
Mountain View School	Public	PK, KG-6	3420 15th Avenue South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7305	330	30	11.0	91.8%	213 (64.5%)	2 (0.6%)	24 (7.3%)	2 (0.6%)	41 (12.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (14.5%)	35.5	241^st of 332 public elementary schools	27.4%		31.4	261^st of 329 public elementary schools	20.7%	20	27.4	37.1	31.1	$13,489
Giant Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	520 32nd Street North	Great Falls	59401	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7045	439	26	16.6	83.6%	317 (72.2%)	4 (0.9%)	27 (6.2%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (6.4%)	1 (0.2%)	60 (13.7%)	49	192^nd of 332 public elementary schools	42.2%		52	188^th of 329 public elementary schools	42.9%	4	28.9	41.7	42.9	$10,355
Lincoln School	Public	PK, KG-6	624 27th Street South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-6800	384	21	18.3	56.8%	283 (73.7%)	2 (0.5%)	25 (6.5%)	3 (0.8%)	22 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (12.8%)	62.1	130^th of 332 public elementary schools	60.8%		71.6	108^th of 329 public elementary schools	67.2%	22	39.8	47.6	43.6	$11,757
Sunnyside School	Public	PK, KG-6	1800 19th Street South	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7115	406	23	17.6	83.0%	246 (60.6%)	6 (1.5%)	46 (11.3%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (17.0%)	36.7	236^th of 332 public elementary schools	28.9%		55.8	168^th of 329 public elementary schools	48.9%	68	31.5	34.6	31.0	$11,129
Longfellow School	Public	PK, KG-6	1100 6th Ave So	Great Falls	59405	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-6845	316	22	14.2	98.7%	132 (41.8%)	7 (2.2%)	41 (13.0%)	1 (0.3%)	75 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (19.0%)	8.8	306^th of 332 public elementary schools	7.8%		9	309^th of 329 public elementary schools	6.1%	3	10.4	17.4	16.1	$12,979

Frequently Asked Questions about Chief Joseph School

How many students attend Chief Joseph School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 262 students attended Chief Joseph School.

What schools do graduates of Chief Joseph School attend?

Students who attend Chief Joseph School usually go on to attend:

Middle : East Middle School
High : Great Falls High School

What district is Chief Joseph School in?

Great Falls Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Chief Joseph School?

Students at Chief Joseph School are 70% White, 15% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 6% American Indian, 1% African American.

Is Chief Joseph School a good school?

Chief Joseph School ranks 138^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 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.