Enrollment
272
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Billings, MT
Independent School
Federal NCES profile for Independent School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 301482000455
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independent School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools.
- #9 of 30
- schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- large classes for Montana
- 272
- students enrolled
Independent School has class sizes larger than 78% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independent School ranks #9 of 30 schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Independent Elem · Montana
NCES ID 301482000455 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independent School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independent School
Independent School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 272 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 272 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Independent Elem spends $9,560 per pupil, 50% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Billings's public schools, it stands alongside Meadowlark School (691 students): Independent School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 19.2:1).
Independent Elem operates only this one school, so Independent School has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Independent School compares
Independent 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 28% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 272 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 78% in Montana - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
45.6%
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
$9,560
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 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 80.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.8%
Two or More 4.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.2, Independent School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independent Elem, which includes Independent School.
$9,560
Per student
-50%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 51.4%
Federal 12.3%
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.
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 (~272 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independent School's federal record.
- Compare Independent School against another school. Compare schools
- Independent 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 Independent School
How many students attend Independent School?
Independent School has 272 students enrolled. It is a public school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independent School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independent School is 15.1:1, which is 28% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independent School?
The largest demographic group at Independent School is White at 80.5% of enrollment, in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independent School?
Independent School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Independent School rank among schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Independent School ranks #9 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 Independent School a good school?
Independent School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of 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 Independent Elem?
None reported; Independent Elem operates only Independent School as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.