Enrollment
332
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300387000061
Bench School — Billings, MT
Federal NCES profile for Bench School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bench School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Bench School reports 332 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% above the Montana state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 332 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 55.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Billings Elem spends $13,071 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 36.9% from local sources (property taxes), 42.0% from the state, and 21.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bench School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Montana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 27% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 332 | top 83% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
— 27% above state mean
Top 77% in Montana — lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
55.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,071
per pupil, district-wide
— below Montana avg of $21,538
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 332 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 332 Top 83% in Montana — larger than 17% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 15.4:1 +27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300387000061
Student demographics
White 56.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 19.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 332:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 55.7%
In-school suspensions 29
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Billings Elem, which includes Bench School.
$13,071
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 741
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
Similar other schools in Billings
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadowlark School
Standard public school
691 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Boulder School
Standard public school
495 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Elder Grove School
Standard public school
465 students 17:1 students per teacher
Eagle Cliffs Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Arrowhead School
Standard public school
434 students 18:1 students per teacher
Broadwater School
Standard public school
400 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Bench School
How many students attend Bench School?
Bench School has 332 students enrolled. It is a other school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bench School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bench School is 15.4:1, which is 27% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bench School?
The largest demographic group at Bench School is White at 56.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bench School?
Bench School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.