Enrollment
465
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 300972000273
Elder Grove School — Billings, MT
Federal NCES profile for Elder Grove School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 30/100.
👥 Class size 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 50
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: Elder Grove 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)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elder Grove 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
Elder Grove School reports 465 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 40% 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 7% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 465 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Elder Grove Elem spends $10,518 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 43.4% from local sources (property taxes), 45.3% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Elder Grove 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 40% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 92% | — | — |
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
17:1
students per teacher
— 40% above state mean
Top 90% in Montana — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$10,518
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 465 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 465 Top 92% in Montana — larger than 8% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 17:1 +40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300972000273
Student demographics
White 84.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 465:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.2%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elder Grove Elem, which includes Elder Grove School.
$10,518
Per student
-51%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-46%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 43.4%
State 45.3%
Federal 11.4%
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
- 248
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
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
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
Sandstone School
Standard public school
393 students 18.1:1 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 Elder Grove School
How many students attend Elder Grove School?
Elder Grove School has 465 students enrolled. It is a other school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elder Grove School?
The student-teacher ratio at Elder Grove School is 17:1, which is 40% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elder Grove School?
The largest demographic group at Elder Grove School is White at 84.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elder Grove School?
Elder Grove School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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.