Enrollment
373
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Billings, MT
Big Sky Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Sky Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300387000901
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Sky Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #27 of 30
- schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- large classes for Montana
- 373
- students enrolled
Big Sky Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Sky Elementary ranks #27 of 30 schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300387000901 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Sky Elementary compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Sky Elementary
Big Sky Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 373 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.6:1 is larger than about 96% of Montana schools and 58% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 373 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% 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.
Among Billings's public schools, it stands alongside Meadowlark School (691 students): Big Sky Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.6:1 vs 19.2:1).
Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students) and Ben Steele Middle School (740 students) alongside Big Sky Elementary.
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 Big Sky Elementary compares
Big Sky Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 58% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 373 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
373
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 58% above state mean
Top 96% in Montana - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.7%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 60.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 11.8%
Two or More 8.8%
African American 3.2%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 60.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Big Sky Elementary 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 Big Sky Elementary.
$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 Big Sky Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ben Steele Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Will James Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Sky Elementary'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
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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
Similar other schools in Billings
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadowlark School
Standard public school
691 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Boulder School
Standard public school
495 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Elder Grove School
Standard public school
465 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Eagle Cliffs Elementary
Standard public school
443 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Arrowhead School
Standard public school
434 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Broadwater School
Standard public school
400 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~373 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Sky Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Sky Elementary 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 Big Sky Elementary
How many students attend Big Sky Elementary?
Big Sky Elementary has 373 students enrolled. It is a public school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Sky Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Sky Elementary is 18.6:1, which is 58% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Sky Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Sky Elementary is White at 60.9% of enrollment, in Billings, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Sky Elementary?
Big Sky Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Big Sky Elementary rank among schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Sky Elementary ranks #27 of 30 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 schools in Billings on the city page.
Is Big Sky Elementary a good school?
Big Sky Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Montana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools. 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 Big Sky Elementary, Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students), Ben Steele Middle School (740 students), and Meadowlark 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.