Enrollment
740
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Billings, MT
Ben Steele Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ben Steele Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300387001118
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Steele Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #5 of 10
- middle schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 740
- students enrolled
Ben Steele Middle School has class sizes larger than 92% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Steele Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300387001118 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Steele Middle School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Steele Middle School
Ben Steele Middle School is a large middle school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 740 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Montana schools and 46% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 97% of state schools at 740 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Billings Elem spends $12,537 per pupil, 35% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 173 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 740 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Billings's middle schools, it stands alongside Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students): Ben Steele Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 16.1:1).
Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students) and Meadowlark School (691 students) alongside Ben Steele Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ben Steele Middle School compares
Ben Steele Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 46% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 740 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
740
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 92% in Montana - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,537
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 84.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Two or More 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 84.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.8, Ben Steele Middle School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Billings Elem, which includes Ben Steele Middle School.
$12,537
Per student
-35%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 42.0%
Federal 21.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ben Steele Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Will James Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Medicine Crow Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Steele Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 741
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar middle schools in Billings
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Lewis & Clark Middle School
Standard public school
741 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Castle Rock Middle School
Standard public school
691 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Will James Middle School
Standard public school
634 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Medicine Crow Middle School
Standard public school
517 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Riverside Middle School
Standard public school
436 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Elder Grove 7-8
Standard public school
248 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~740 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Steele Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ben Steele Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Billings Elem's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ben Steele Middle School
How many students attend Ben Steele Middle School?
Ben Steele Middle School has 740 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Steele Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Steele Middle School is 17.2:1, which is 46% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Steele Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ben Steele Middle School is White at 84.6% of enrollment, in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Steele Middle School?
Ben Steele Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ben Steele Middle School rank among middle schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Steele Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Billings, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Billings on the city page.
Is Ben Steele Middle School a good school?
Ben Steele Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Billings Elem?
Besides Ben Steele Middle School, Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students), Meadowlark School (691 students), and Castle Rock Middle School (691 students). See the Billings Elem district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.