Enrollment
277
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Billings, MT
Ponderosa School
Federal NCES profile for Ponderosa School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 300387000079
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ponderosa School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #7 of 30
- schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 277
- students enrolled
Ponderosa School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa School ranks #7 of 30 schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300387000079 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ponderosa School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ponderosa School
Ponderosa School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 277 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 led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.0% 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): Ponderosa School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 19.2:1).
Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students) and Ben Steele Middle School (740 students) alongside Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa School compares
Ponderosa 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 65% in Montana - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
61.0%
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 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 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 52.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 18.8%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 3.2%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 52.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ben Steele Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Will James Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ponderosa 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
- 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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ponderosa School's federal record.
- Compare Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa School
How many students attend Ponderosa School?
Ponderosa School has 277 students enrolled. It is a public school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ponderosa School is 13.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ponderosa School?
The largest demographic group at Ponderosa School is White at 52.3% of enrollment, in Billings, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ponderosa School?
Ponderosa School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Ponderosa School rank among schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Ponderosa School ranks #7 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 Ponderosa School a good school?
Ponderosa School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. 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 Ponderosa School, 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.