The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Science. The lowest is 0% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Elrod School
Elrod School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Kalispell, Montana, as part of the Kalispell Elem district. It is a small elementary school with a student body of about that size for its grade band. The school operates in a traditional public setting and is not a charter or magnet school. No Title I status was reported.
Every student at Elrod qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a marker that points to the economic circumstances of the families the school serves. The student population is predominantly white, with a small but present share of Hispanic students and a handful of students from other racial backgrounds.
State assessment results provide an incomplete picture for this school. For the most recent testing year, math and English language arts results for grades three through five were not reported; no students in those grades appear to have taken those assessments. Science results from the Montana Science Assessment, which tests students in a single elementary grade, were reported and show that about a quarter of tested students met the state’s proficiency standard. A parent considering Elrod may want to ask the school how it monitors progress in math and reading and what assessments it uses for those subjects.
Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quarter of elementary schools within Flathead County. No data was available for chronic absenteeism, discipline, or course access. Graduation rate does not apply because the school does not serve high school grades.
The school sits in Kalispell, the largest city in northwest Montana and the commercial hub of Flathead County. The local economy is driven by healthcare, tourism tied to Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake, and lumber and agriculture processing. Kalispell has been growing rapidly, and the city’s downtown is walkable with historic landmarks, but most of the city is auto-oriented. Major employers include the regional medical center, a large lumber company, and retail and service businesses. The housing market in and around Kalispell is expensive relative to national benchmarks; home values have stayed high even as the number of active listings has fluctuated. Rental costs are also elevated, and buying a home typically requires income well above the national median.
The Kalispell Elem district did not report any notable recent changes that would affect families. No information was available about programs, staffing, or attendance patterns at Elrod.
For a family, Elrod offers a small elementary setting where every child receives free meals. The school’s academic results are limited, particularly in the core areas of math and reading, and its overall performance relative to other schools in the county is low. The surrounding community is growing and offers a range of employment options, though the cost of housing is a significant factor. A parent considering Elrod would be well served by contacting the school directly to understand its curriculum, instructional approach, and how it addresses the gaps in publicly reported test data.
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