Willow Creek Elem, MT - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Willow Creek Elem

Willow Creek Elementary is a tiny school district in Gallatin County, Montana, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates two schools: Willow Creek School and Willow Creek 7-8, both housed within a rural setting that spans the areas near Cardwell and Three Forks. The district is one of the smallest in the county, with a total enrollment that is very small even for a PK-8 system. The student body is entirely white, and no data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education, or English learner status is available.

State test results for the district are essentially invisible. For the most recent year, math and English language arts proficiency rates for grades three through eight were suppressed, meaning the number of students tested was too small to report without risking identification. Science results from the prior year are simply missing. The state also changed its assessment name and cut scores in recent years, making any trend analysis impossible. A parent looking at this district will find no public academic performance data to evaluate. The district does not serve high school, so there is no graduation rate to consider.

What can be measured is the district's chronic absenteeism rate, which sits in the top quartile among Gallatin County's districts, meaning far fewer students are missing substantial school time compared to peers across the county. That is a clear positive indicator of student engagement. At the same time, the district's per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among the county's districts, a reflection of the fixed costs of operating a very small, rural system.

The housing market across the areas the district draws from is expensive. Home values in the zip codes that feed into Willow Creek are above both the Montana state average and the national average, driven in part by the broader Gallatin County market, which includes the Bozeman area. The county's housing supply is tight, with active listings down and median listing prices rising steadily. For a family considering a move to this district, the cost of housing is a significant factor. The district itself is rural and likely to remain small; a search for recent district changes or strategic priorities turned up little, consistent with a stable, low-profile system.

For a parent, this district presents a very specific profile. It offers a small, close-knit environment where students are unlikely to get lost in a crowd, and it serves only elementary and middle grades, with students moving on to a high school elsewhere after eighth grade. The chronic absenteeism is low, which suggests a supportive atmosphere. But the total lack of visible academic achievement data means a family cannot compare this district to others on test scores or growth. There is no information on course offerings, advanced programs, or support services. A parent considering this district would need to visit the schools, talk to staff, and ask directly about instructional quality and what programs are available, because the public record offers almost nothing on academic outcomes. It may be a good fit for a family seeking a rural, low-key setting and willing to investigate the school's day-to-day operation firsthand. It is not a district that markets itself or publishes detailed performance data.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

Grades

PK–08

Schools

Student body

White 100%

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

Willow Creek School

Willow Creek 7-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$535,133

Year-over-year change+1.6%

Range across 3 ZIP codes$509K to $568K

vs. state typical1.14x

vs. national typical1.45x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
59752	Three Forks	$547K	-0.1%	55.4%
59760	Three Forks	$509K	+3.4%	36.2%
59721	Cardwell	$568K	+4.3%	8.4%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,700/mo

Home price / national median income6.4x

Market Activity: Gallatin County

Median listing price$947,000

Median listing price YoY+11.4%

Median price per sq ft$433

Median price per sq ft YoY+6.9%

Median days on market53.0 days

Median days on market YoY+12.8%

Active listings662

Active listings YoY-4.3%

New listings256

New listings YoY-13.5%

Pending listings262

Pending listings YoY-4.4%

Hotness: median listing price$962,450

Hotness: median listing price YoY+7.1%

Supply score45.6

Supply score YoY-16.0%

Demand score40.2

Demand score YoY+5.3%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

Comparison

State typical home value$467,919 (+1.3% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Academic Performance
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.