Enrollment in Flathead County schools is down 1% from last year, with 17,250 students attending public and private schools.  

The past 10 school years, however, have brought in an additional 1,839 students to the valley, representing a 12% increase, according to an annual fall enrollment count, compiled by the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools.  

The recently released report also highlights out-of-district attendance, expenditures and levy information.  

Homeschool remains a growing segment of the student population in Flathead County. There are 1,010 homeschooled kindergartners through eighth graders, according to the report. This is a 16% increase of 142 students. Over the decade, the amount of homeschooled elementary and middle school students surged with a 98% increase, representing 500 students.  

Homeschooled high school students also grew with a total enrollment of 239. This includes a 5% increase, representing 12 students, compared to last year. Over 10 school years, the ranks of students who are homeschooled grew by 112 students, or 88%.  

Eight of Flathead County’s 19 elementary districts (grades K-8) reported increased enrollments this fall. Most increases were small — 15 additional students at Fair-Mont-Egan, 11 at Helena Flats and Whitefish, nine at Kila, five at Evergreen, four at Olney-Bissell and so on — but at smaller schools, even slight increases can make a big difference. 

The annual enrollment counts are significant for school district funding. Even slight enrollment shifts in smaller schools can impact the amount of state funding they receive. More students enrolled in a district means more state dollars for schools when put into a formula. 

But enrollment increases can create challenges with building capacity and class size. Percentage-wise, for example, a 5% increase represents 41 more students in West Valley School versus nine students in Kila School. 

District highlights

West Valley School reached a decade high at 801 students, a 39% increase (225 students) over 10 years. 

The continued growth is partly due to residential development, including homes being built off Stillwater Road, west of Glacier High School, Superintendent Richard Gross said. Gross noted efforts to maximize existing space, such as converting a conference room and an old science lab into three third-grade classrooms.  

Enrollment at the time West Valley School opened its middle school addition in 2015 was 576 students. In 2021, staff built two classrooms behind the main building, taking away playground space, to accommodate growth and later put a bond issue before voters to build a new middle school, but it failed. Gross said the district has no immediate plans to expand.  

Helena Flats School gained 11 students since last year (a 4% increase) and 74 (a 34% increase) over a decade, bringing K-8 enrollment to 292 in a building designed for roughly 250 students, according to Superintendent Andy Maheras. 

“We've made some changes with remodeling that have provided some additional classroom space for the moment. Historically, Helena Flats has had fairly consistent growth over time averaging around five students per year,” Maheras said. 

The school board has been researching different options in planning for the future such as acquiring more land to expand, purchasing portable classrooms, remodeling the existing school or building an addition. 

“There has been no decision made by the board on which direction to pursue. As you know, the increase in local property taxes will affect potential bonds and levies presented by the school to our taxpayers,” Maheras said.  

Kindergarten through eighth-grade enrollment at Kalispell Public Schools remained stable compared to last year.  

The elementary district decreased by three students. Total enrollment stands at 3,034 elementary and middle school students. Over 10 years, there was a negligible increase with 16 more students (1%). 

Kalispell Public Schools has spent the year assessing staffing and enrollment levels at the six elementary schools. 

“The discussion around optimizing enrollment in elementary buildings was tied to the long-range facility planning we recently completed,” Kalispell Superintendent Matt Jensen said. “Our conclusion was that major facility changes would be driven by increased enrollment. As shown in the Flathead County Statistical Report, our K-5 enrollment has remained relatively stable”  

Other districts experienced declines.  

In terms of sheer numbers, Columbia Falls K-8 enrollment dropped off the most; its student body of 1,495 is 98 fewer students than last year. Despite this, K-8 enrollment was offset by an increase of 94 students over 10 years. 

A similar situation occurred in Marion School, where enrollment dropped off by 36 students (a 20% decrease) but gained 33 students (a 30% increase) over 10 years.  

Other small rural school districts hit year-to-year and decade lows, including Swan River, Smith Valley and West Glacier.   

Swan River School has 21 fewer students (a 12% decline) compared to last year with a total enrollment of 186. Over 10 school years, enrollment decreased by three students (a 2% decline).  

Smith Valley School’s enrollment of 186 students is a decrease of 11 students (a 6% drop) compared to 2023. Over the decade, enrollment declined by 39 students (a 17% decrease).  

Flathead County’s four public high schools followed similar patterns, with most experiencing year-over-year decreases but long-term growth, with the exception of Columbia Falls High School, which didn’t gain or lose any students.  

Flathead and Glacier high schools saw a combined 111-student drop (about 4%) this year but added 184 (an increase of 7%) over the decade. Total enrollment stands at 3,000.  

Bigfork High School, which has an enrollment of 335, decreased by 17 students (a 5% drop) compared to last year. Over 10 school years, the high school absorbed 48 students (an increase of 17%).  

Enrollment in Whitefish High School stands at 629 students, which is a decrease of eight students (a decline of about 1%) compared to last year. Over 10 years, the high school absorbed 140 more students, representing a 29% increase.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.  

    Third-grade students work on a reading assessment program in teacher Bethany Knudsen's classroom at West Valley School on Thursday, Dec. 19. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider