Billings Elementary
Public school district · Yellowstone County · Montana · NCES district ID 3003870
Billings Elementary spent $12,015 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 59% of the other Montana districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,120). Its 27 schools enrolled 11,148 students in 2024-25; 45.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,131 per student, up 1.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Montana's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Billings Elementary ranks 7.
Where the money came from
$149,983,000 in revenue: 45.0% state, 40.5% local and 14.5% federal. Total spending including $3,437,000 of capital outlay was $141,101,000, or $12,841 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$67,446,000 45%
- Local$60,754,000 41%
- Federal$21,783,000 15%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 30 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
10,988 students in 2022-23, 11,089 students in 2023-24, 11,148 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 10,988 | 729.7 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | 11,089 | 705.0 | 15.7 |
| 2024-25 | 11,148 | 695.1 | 16.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$54,215,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,934 per student
Billings Elementary booked $54,215,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 730 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $74,295 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 94 in 100 Montana districts with a figure (state median $53,321, 282 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $48,455,000 | 89.4% |
| Special education | $5,646,000 | 10.4% |
| Other programs | $114,000 | 0.2% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,525 in 2018-19, $4,698 in 2019-20, $4,875 in 2020-21, $5,205 in 2021-22, $4,934 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Billings Elementary scored proficient or above: 40% in reading and 34% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Montana, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Montana | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 40% | 45.7% | 7,287 |
| Math | 34% | 35.2% | 6,477 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
21 elementary schools, 7,389 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadowlark School | 691 | 18.3 | 20.0% | Not Title I |
| Boulder School | 495 | 18.6 | 20.2% | Not Title I |
| Eagle Cliffs Elementary | 443 | 17.6 | 22.3% | Not Title I |
| Arrowhead School | 434 | 18.2 | 14.1% | Not Title I |
| Broadwater School | 400 | 16.2 | 61.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Sandstone School | 393 | 16.5 | 50.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Big Sky Elementary | 373 | 15.7 | 50.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Beartooth School | 373 | 17.1 | 50.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Orchard School | 340 | 15.2 | 73.8% | Schoolwide program |
| McKinley School | 339 | 11.7 | 59.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Bench School | 332 | 15.0 | 66.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Miles Avenue School | 325 | 15.2 | 60.0% | Schoolwide program |
The other 9 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkali Creek School | 310 | 17.6 | 26.8% | Not Title I |
| Central Heights School | 285 | 15.4 | 51.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Poly Drive School | 283 | 16.7 | 26.9% | Not Title I |
| Ponderosa School | 277 | 11.9 | 69.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Rose Park School | 277 | 16.0 | 47.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Bitterroot School | 264 | 16.5 | 49.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Burlington School | 257 | 13.9 | 51.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Highland School | 249 | 15.2 | 41.0% | Eligible, no program |
| Newman School | 249 | 12.2 | 69.9% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
6 middle schools, 3,759 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | 741 | 16.7 | 53.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Ben Steele Middle School | 740 | 18.5 | 20.1% | Not Title I |
| Castle Rock Middle School | 691 | 17.6 | 33.7% | Not Title I |
| Will James Middle School | 634 | 17.1 | 39.4% | Not Title I |
| Medicine Crow Middle School | 517 | 16.5 | 51.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Riverside Middle School | 436 | 12.3 | 62.4% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Washington School
School in Billings; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 246 students; 11.8 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Billings Elementary
- Website: billingsschools.org
- Phone: (406) 281-5000
- Office: 415 North 30th Street, Billings, MT 59101
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Billings Elementary
- Montana districts by spending per studentBillings Elementary ranks 18 of 30 Montana districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,015).#18 of 30
- Every school district in MontanaBillings Elementary is the largest of 398 Montana districts, with 10,988 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 398
- Great Falls ElementaryThe next smaller Montana district: 7,032 students in fall 2022, $12,146 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,146
- Compare Billings Elementary with Great Falls ElementaryEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Teacher salary spending across MontanaBillings Elementary spent $74,295 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $53,321); spending, not a salary.$74,295
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Billings Elementary
How many schools and students are in Billings Elementary?
27 schools were open in 2024-25 (21 elementary, 6 middle), enrolling 11,148 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Billings Elementary spend per student?
$12,015 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Montana median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,120 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,131 per student, up 1.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Billings Elementary's money come from?
$149,983,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 45.0% state, 40.5% local and 14.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Billings Elementary live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,216 of the 13,706 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Billings Elementary spend on teacher salaries?
$54,215,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,934 per student. Divided by the 730 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $74,295 per teacher, more than 94 in 100 Montana districts (state median $53,321). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Montana teacher salary at $53,628 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Billings Elementary do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Billings Elementary scored proficient or above: 40% in reading and 34% in math, against 45.7% in reading and 35.2% in math across Montana. Montana's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is Billings Elementary's NCES district ID?
3003870. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25