The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Centerville 6-8
Centerville 6-8 is a small public middle school in rural Cascade County, part of the Centerville Elem district, which also serves students from the nearby communities of Tracy and Stockett. The school serves only grades six through eight, so families with younger children will look to the district's elementary school, and those with high school students will move on to a separate building.
The student body is small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Nearly all students are white, with a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students. The school is located in Sand Coulee, a tiny unincorporated community that has seen decades of population decline. Sand Coulee was once a coal-mining town, but its economy collapsed when railroads switched to diesel in the 1930s, and today it is primarily a residential area from which residents commute to Great Falls, about a short drive away. There is no walkable downtown, no local transit, and no school campus within Sand Coulee itself; the district's campus is in the separate community of Centerville. Housing values in the broader area are below the national median, with recent year-over-year increases above the national rate.
On state assessments, about a quarter of students scored proficient or above in math, and just over a third did so in English language arts. These proficiency rates place the school in the bottom quartile among districts in Cascade County. Science test results for the tested grades were suppressed, meaning the tested group was too small to report, which is common in a school this size. A parent may want to ask the school how it identifies and supports students who are below grade level, and what academic interventions are in place.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, disciplinary rates, course access, staffing ratios, or special education and English learner populations. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as boundary shifts or program additions, so it appears to have been operating on a stable, if minimal, footing. No program offerings such as career and technical education, advanced coursework, or after-school enrichment were reported.
For a family, the picture is of a very small, rural middle school in a shrinking community, serving a largely white and lower-income student population. The academic results are below where many peer districts in the county land. The school's size means students likely receive a lot of individual attention from teachers, but also that the range of course offerings and extracurriculars may be thin. Families who want a wide academic menu or a more affluent peer environment would likely look to Great Falls or another larger Cascade County district. Those who value a close-knit, small-school setting in a quiet rural area, and who are prepared to investigate the school's academic support systems further, may find this a viable fit.
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