Enrollment
436
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 300387000903
Riverside Middle School — Billings, MT
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
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: Billings 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)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 12.1:1 Montana avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Middle 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
Riverside Middle School reports 436 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% 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 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 218 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 72.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Billings Elem spends $13,071 per pupil district-wide, below the Montana average of $21,538 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 36.9% from local sources (property taxes), 42.0% from the state, and 21.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), 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 Riverside Middle 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 | 12.3:1 | ▲ 2% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 91% | — | — |
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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 49% in Montana — lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
72.9%
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
$13,071
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
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
Enrollment 436 Top 91% in Montana — larger than 9% of 826 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 300387000903
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 218:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 72.9%
In-school suspensions 200
Out-of-school suspensions 113
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Billings Elem, which includes Riverside Middle School.
$13,071
Per student
-39%
vs Montana
Avg $21,538
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 741
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
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 14.5:1 students per teacher
Ben Steele Middle School
Standard public school
740 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Castle Rock Middle School
Standard public school
691 students 18:1 students per teacher
Will James Middle School
Standard public school
634 students 16.2:1 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 17.8:1 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 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 12.3:1, which is 2% higher than the Montana average of 12.1:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Middle School is White at 56.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Billings, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Middle School?
Riverside Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) 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.