Enrollment
691
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Billings, MT
Meadowlark School
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300387000073
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadowlark School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #22 of 30
- schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Montana
- 691
- students enrolled
Meadowlark School has class sizes larger than 97% of Montana schools. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark School ranks #22 of 30 schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300387000073 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadowlark School
Meadowlark School is a large combined-grade school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 691 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 97% of Montana schools and 63% 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 691 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (7%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 532 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Boulder School (495 students): Meadowlark School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 17.7:1).
Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students) and Ben Steele Middle School (740 students) alongside Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark School compares
Meadowlark 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 63% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 691 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
691
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 63% above state mean
Top 97% in Montana - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.1%
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 532 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 79.2%
Two or More 7.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.5%
African American 1.4%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ben Steele Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Will James Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Medicine Crow Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadowlark 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
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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 other schools in Billings
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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
Sandstone School
Standard public school
393 students 17.1:1 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 (~691 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadowlark School's federal record.
- Compare Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark School
How many students attend Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has 691 students enrolled. It is a public school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark School is 19.2:1, which is 63% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadowlark School?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark School is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark School?
Meadowlark School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Meadowlark School rank among schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark School ranks #22 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 Meadowlark School a good school?
Meadowlark School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Meadowlark School, Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students), Ben Steele Middle School (740 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.