Meadow Lark School

Summary:

Meadow Lark School is an elementary school in Great Falls, Montana, serving 555 students in grades PK-6. This high-performing school consistently outshines the Great Falls Elementary District and the state of Montana in academic proficiency, ranking among the top 4% of elementary schools in the state.

Meadow Lark School's academic excellence is evident in its impressive test scores. In the 2022-2023 school year, 61.42% of Meadow Lark students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 35.13% for the district and 36.59% for the state. In Reading, 68.52% of Meadow Lark students were proficient or better, compared to 43.92% for the district and 46.03% for the state. The school also excels in Science, with 79.27% of students scoring proficient or better, far surpassing the district's 41.42% and the state's 37.03%. This exceptional academic performance has earned Meadow Lark a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and a statewide ranking of 12 out of 332 schools.

While Meadow Lark School stands out for its academic achievements, it also has a higher student-teacher ratio of 22.6, compared to the nearby Mountain View School (13.9) and Longfellow School (19.2). Additionally, the school's student population is less diverse, with 84.32% of students identifying as White, higher than the more diverse nearby schools. The school's spending per student, at $7,651, is also lower than some of the neighboring schools, such as Mountain View School ($10,561) and Longfellow School ($10,400).

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

2204 Fox Farm Road
Great Falls, MT 59404

(406) 268-7300

District: Great Falls Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
12^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,171

Students who attend Meadow Lark School usually attend:

Middle:	North Middle School
High:	C M Russell High School

Student/teacher ratio: 21.6

Number of students: 531

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.7%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Two or more races:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Meadow Lark School ranks better than 96.4% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks first among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.82. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Meadow Lark School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Great Falls Elementary School District. Racial makeup is: White (84.7%), Hispanic (6.4%), two or more races (6.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Great Falls Elementary School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Meadow Lark School is 21.6, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Meadow Lark School employs 24.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Meadow Lark School is $10,171, which is the lowest among 15 elementary schools in the Great Falls Elementary School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Meadow Lark 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 Meadow Lark School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	93.38	9^th	217	95.9%
2005	95.55	1^st	218	99.5%
2006	92.63	2^nd	234	99.1%
2007	89.74	2^nd	230	99.1%
2008	91.96	4^th	194	97.9%
2009	88.73	1^st	190	99.5%
2010	86.16	2^nd	241	99.2%
2011	84.73	6^th	247	97.6%
2012	84.88	4^th	244	98.4%
2013	84.62	7^th	246	97.2%
2015	93.69	19^th	287	93.4%
2016	98.01	4^th	191	97.9%
2017	95.76	2^nd	109	98.2%
2018	94.72	3^rd	116	97.4%
2019	96.07	4^th	123	96.7%
2021	95.37	15^th	356	95.8%
2022	95.51	17^th	329	94.8%
2023	94.82	12^th	332	96.4%

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 Meadow Lark 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	526	526
1991	510	2	14	1	10	n/a	n/a	0	537
1992	507	2	15	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	534
1993	494	2	19	2	7	n/a	n/a	0	524
1994	486	2	7	3	6	n/a	n/a	0	504
1995	440	1	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	449
1996	440	1	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	449
1997	417	4	6	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	431
1998	421	2	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	433
1999	431	3	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	439
2000	430	0	1	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	436
2001	414	0	4	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	422
2002	437	0	3	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	445
2003	437	0	3	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	445
2004	441	0	4	4	7	n/a	n/a	0	456
2005	417	0	2	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	429
2006	505	3	6	11	16	n/a	n/a	0	541
2007	494	3	5	13	18	n/a	n/a	0	533
2008	480	8	4	7	18	n/a	n/a	0	517
2009	495	10	6	9	14	n/a	n/a	0	534
2010	460	12	8	10	18	n/a	n/a	0	508
2011	467	13	7	11	15	1	0	0	514
2012	440	15	6	12	22	0	0	0	495
2013	415	10	13	18	19	0	5	0	480
2014	398	14	9	25	19	0	6	0	471
2015	400	14	9	30	20	0	10	0	483
2016	410	11	7	23	18	0	14	0	483
2017	419	8	8	25	18	0	21	0	499
2018	429	8	7	22	20	0	24	0	510
2019	440	5	8	15	14	0	28	0	510
2020	460	4	6	19	11	0	30	0	530
2021	431	1	5	27	10	0	38	0	512
2022	463	2	6	35	8	0	36	0	550
2023	468	5	3	33	10	0	36	0	555
2024	450	3	1	34	9	0	34	0	531

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 Meadow Lark School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	526	22.0	23.9	19
1991	537	22.7	23.6	15.3
1992	534	20.0	26.7	4.3
1993	524	25.2	20.8	3.2
1994	504	23.0	21.9	3.6
1995	449	21.2	21.2	2
1996	449	21.2	21.2	2
1997	431	22.2	19.4	3.2
1998	433	22.5	19.2	4.6
1999	439	22.0	20.0	8.7
2000	436	23.1	18.9	8.3
2001	422	24.0	17.6	5.7
2002	445	24.7	18.0	9
2003	445	24.7	18.0	9
2004	456	24.8	18.4	8.3
2005	429	24.4	17.6	6.5
2006	541	26.6	20.3	6.8
2007	533	25.5	20.9	7.3
2008	517	25.9	20.0	6.4
2009	534	27.6	19.3	8.8
2010	508	27.7	18.3	12.2
2011	514	27.8	18.4	8.4
2012	495	27.4	18.0	10.3
2013	480	26.3	18.1	11.3
2014	471	24.0	19.6	13.2
2015	483	25.0	19.3	13
2016	483	26.0	18.5	13
2017	499	25.4	19.5	13.6
2018	510	25.4	20.0	13.1
2019	510	25.3	20.0	12.9
2020	530	24.3	21.7	12.3
2021	512	25.4	20.1	n/a
2022	550	25.9	21.2	n/a
2023	555	24.4	22.6	n/a
2024	531	24.4	21.6	17.7

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 Meadow Lark School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	526	22.0	23.9	19
1991	537	22.7	23.6	15.3
1992	534	20.0	26.7	4.3
1993	524	25.2	20.8	3.2
1994	504	23.0	21.9	3.6
1995	449	21.2	21.2	2
1996	449	21.2	21.2	2
1997	431	22.2	19.4	3.2
1998	433	22.5	19.2	4.6
1999	439	22.0	20.0	8.7
2000	436	23.1	18.9	8.3
2001	422	24.0	17.6	5.7
2002	445	24.7	18.0	9
2003	445	24.7	18.0	9
2004	456	24.8	18.4	8.3
2005	429	24.4	17.6	6.5
2006	541	26.6	20.3	6.8
2007	533	25.5	20.9	7.3
2008	517	25.9	20.0	6.4
2009	534	27.6	19.3	8.8
2010	508	27.7	18.3	12.2
2011	514	27.8	18.4	8.4
2012	495	27.4	18.0	10.3
2013	480	26.3	18.1	11.3
2014	471	24.0	19.6	13.2
2015	483	25.0	19.3	13
2016	483	26.0	18.5	13
2017	499	25.4	19.5	13.6
2018	510	25.4	20.0	13.1
2019	510	25.3	20.0	12.9
2020	530	24.3	21.7	12.3
2021	512	25.4	20.1	n/a
2022	550	25.9	21.2	n/a
2023	555	24.4	22.6	n/a
2024	531	24.4	21.6	17.7

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 Meadow Lark School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$7,651
2021	$9,780
2022	$10,665
2023	$10,170

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Meadow Lark 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 4^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 12^th of 332 Elementary schools	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	510	555	8.8%
African American	5	5
American Indian	14	10	28.6%
Asian	8	3	62.5%
Hispanic	15	33	120%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	440	468	6.4%
Two or More Races	28	36	28.6%

Schools Near Meadow Lark 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
Meadow Lark School	Public	PK, KG-6	2204 Fox Farm Road	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7300	531	24	21.6	17.7%	450 (84.7%)	3 (0.6%)	34 (6.4%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.4%)	94.8	12^th of 332 public elementary schools	96.4%		95.5	17^th of 329 public elementary schools	94.8%	5	61.4	68.5	79.3	$10,171
West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1205 1st Avenue NW	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7180	463	32	14.5	86.4%	318 (68.7%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (15.1%)	14.7	292^nd of 332 public elementary schools	12.0%		23.6	278^th of 329 public elementary schools	15.5%	14	16.2	23.5	20.3	$11,059
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
Whittier School	Public	PK, KG-6	305 8th Street North	Great Falls	59401	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7230	189	20	9.4	99.5%	68 (36.0%)	1 (0.5%)	17 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (30.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (24.3%)	10.5	304^th of 332 public elementary schools	8.4%		21.8	281^st of 329 public elementary schools	14.6%	23	11.9	11.1	21.2	$14,992
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
Valley View School	Public	PK, KG-6	900 Avenue A NW	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 268-7145	304	20	15.3	54.3%	229 (75.3%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (12.8%)	41.4	224^th of 332 public elementary schools	32.5%		44.5	219^th of 329 public elementary schools	33.4%	5	19.4	37.5	45.0	$13,144
Riverview School	Public	PK, KG-6	100 Smelter Avenue	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7015	449	22	20.0	40.8%	351 (78.2%)	5 (1.1%)	29 (6.5%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.4%)	74	86^th of 332 public elementary schools	74.1%		75.5	91^st of 329 public elementary schools	72.3%	5	40.8	52.2	59.0	$10,928
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
Sacajawea School	Public	PK, KG-6	630 Sacajawea Drive	Great Falls	59404	Cascade County	Great Falls Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 268-7080	398	21	19.0	47.5%	324 (81.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.8%)	2 (0.5%)	11 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	71.3	96^th of 332 public elementary schools	71.1%		74.9	95^th of 329 public elementary schools	71.1%	1	47.4	51.8	45.5	$11,218
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Meadow Lark School

How many students attend Meadow Lark School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 531 students attended Meadow Lark School.

Is Meadow Lark School a good school?

Yes! Meadow Lark School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 12^th of 332 Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Meadow Lark School?

Students at Meadow Lark School are 85% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Meadow Lark School attend?

Students who attend Meadow Lark School usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Middle School
High : C M Russell High School

What district is Meadow Lark School in?

Great Falls Elementary

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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.