The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cascade High School
Cascade High School serves students in grades nine through twelve in the small town of Cascade, Montana, about a half-hour drive north of Great Falls along the Missouri River. The school is part of the Cascade H S district, which also educates students from the surrounding communities of Ulm, Deep Creek, Craig, and Wolf Creek. With an enrollment that is small for a high school, the school provides an intimate setting where most students know one another and the staff. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, American Indian, two or more races, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is common in rural Montana schools.
Cascade itself is an agricultural and ranching town with a secondary economy built on outdoor recreation. Anglers, hunters, and river outfitters are a visible presence, especially from spring through fall. The town sits along Interstate 15 and the Missouri River, functioning as both a rural community and a stop on the canyon corridor. Population has been stable or slowly declining. Housing values in the zip code are a bit below the statewide median but above the national median; the local market reflects the area’s modest growth and rural character. Many residents likely commute to Great Falls for work.
State assessment results are not available for Cascade High School. The state testing data that is reported covers grades three through eight; because the school serves only high school grades, no math, English language arts, or science proficiency results exist for the school from the regular state assessments. The neighbor comparison, which places the school against other districts in Cascade County, shows a proficiency index that is low, but that index is based on zeros that reflect the absence of tested students, not on actual performance. Parents and residents who want to understand academic achievement at this high school should ask directly about the school’s own assessments, college readiness measures, and any available end-of-course or ACT results.
No graduation rate is reported in the data, which is a gap that a family would want to explore with the school. Information on programs such as Advanced Placement, dual credit with a college, career and technical offerings, and extracurriculars was not included in the available data, so those details would need to come from the school or district. The school’s website or a call to the office would be the best next step.
For a family considering this area, Cascade High School offers the tight-knit environment typical of a rural Montana high school. The community is rooted in agriculture, with outdoor recreation as a major draw. The town’s pace is slow, and the school is likely central to civic life. The absence of public test data and graduation metrics means that a parent should expect to do more legwork to gauge academic rigor. Families who value small class sizes, personal attention, and a setting where students can participate in many activities without competing against hundreds of peers may find it a good fit. Those who want to see a track record of state test scores and graduation rates before enrolling will need to seek that information directly from the school.
See more original research from School Decision →