Enrollment
436
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Billings, MT
Riverside Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 300387000903
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Montana schools.
- #3 of 10
- middle schools in Billings · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.9:1
- students per teacher
- 436
- students enrolled
Riverside Middle School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle School ranks #3 of 10 middle schools in Billings, MT.
School address
District: Billings Elem · Montana
NCES ID 300387000903 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Middle School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Middle School
Riverside Middle School is a large middle school in Billings, Montana, enrolling 436 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 91% of state schools at 436 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 218 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 72.9% 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.
Discipline events run high: 313 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 436 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Billings's middle schools, it stands alongside Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students): Riverside Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.9:1 vs 16.1:1).
Billings Elem also operates Lewis & Clark Middle School (741 students) and Ben Steele Middle School (740 students) alongside Riverside Middle 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 Riverside Middle School compares
Riverside Middle 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 38% in Montana - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
72.9%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 218 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
200
in-school suspensions + 113 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 45.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 71.8 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 56.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 15.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 8.7%
African American 3.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 56.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.2, Riverside Middle 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 Riverside Middle 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 Riverside Middle 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 Riverside Middle 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 middle schools in Billings
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Lewis & Clark Middle School
Standard public school
741 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Ben Steele Middle School
Standard public school
740 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Castle Rock Middle School
Standard public school
691 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Will James Middle School
Standard public school
634 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Medicine Crow Middle School
Standard public school
517 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Elder Grove 7-8
Standard public school
248 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Middle 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 Riverside Middle School
How many students attend Riverside Middle School?
Riverside Middle School has 436 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Billings, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle School is 10.9:1, which is 8% lower than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Middle School is White at 56.9% of enrollment, in Billings, MT. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Middle School?
Riverside Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Riverside Middle School rank among middle schools in Billings?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle School ranks #3 of 10 middle 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 middle schools in Billings on the city page.
Is Riverside Middle School a good school?
Riverside Middle School earns 46/100 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 Riverside Middle 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.