One reason that growing families choose to live in the Whitefish area is the quality educational experience that our local schools offer, from pre-school all the way through college.
Perennially ranked among the top school districts in all of Montana, the Whitefish School District serves more than 1,500 students enrolled at four centrally located facilities: Muldown Elementary School (K-4), Whitefish Middle School (5-8), Whitefish High School (9-12) and Whitefish Independent High School, which provides a non-traditional setting for grades 10–12.
Students are expected to complete a rigorous academic program from kindergarten through grade 12. Major emphasis at the elementary level focuses on strong reading, language and math skills; the middle and high school programs add to that strong foundation a variety of fine arts programs, along with advanced placement classes in English, government, history, science and mathematics.
High school students also have the option of attending Flathead Valley Community College while still at WHS through dual credit courses and the Running Start program. Running Start gives eligible high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to get a start on their college career by earning six free college credits.
Members of the Whitefish High School class of 2017 toss their hats in the air June 3 outside the school following the commencement ceremony . (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
One advantage of small town life is that parents have plenty of opportunities to help improve the quality of their kids' education, and that’s particularly true in Whitefish. The Whitefish Education Foundation, Family Involvement Team, and Bulldog Boosters are among the strongest service organizations in town, and play an active and important role in assuring that Whitefish kids get the best possible education.
Whitefish Christian Academy
Whitefish Christian Academy serves students in grades K–8. A classical Christian school, WCA cultivates wisdom and virtue in its students through a rigorous, time-tested liberal arts curriculum. Through the joyful discovery of the world around them, students foster an enduring love of learning and graduate as thoughtful, articulate and compassionate young men and women.
Flathead Valley Community College
FVCC is Montana’s largest two-year public college. The campus in Kalispell is a short 15-minute drive south of Whitefish, where the college offers outstanding academic programs taught by faculty members who have studied, taught and conducted research around the globe. In-person, remote and online instruction is available.
FVCC has learning opportunities and resources for the entire community including continuing education classes, lectures and events, general education courses and career and technical training programs. The school offers Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees that satisfy the lower-division general education requirements at four-year institutions, as well as Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees and certificates in more than 40 career and technical fields.
The college works closely with local workforce and economic development agencies to offer training programs to meet the specific needs of Flathead Valley employers, from health care to advanced manufacturing, and geospatial technology to brewing science.