Bitterroot School

Q: Is Bitterroot School a good school?

Bitterroot School ranks 234 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Bitterroot School is an elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Billings, MT, with an enrollment of 287 students. While the school has a predominantly White student population, it lags behind the Billings Elementary District and the state in academic performance, with proficiency rates below the district averages in Mathematics, Reading, and Science.

Bitterroot School's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, placing it in the bottom third of elementary schools in Montana with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school also has a relatively high student-teacher ratio compared to nearby schools like McKinley School and Bench School. Additionally, the school's racial composition differs from some of its peers, with a higher percentage of White students and lower percentages of minority students.

While Bitterroot School's per-student spending is comparable to nearby schools, the lack of data on the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch makes it difficult to assess the socioeconomic status of the student population and how it may impact academic performance. The nearby schools, such as Eagle Cliffs Elementary and Alkali Creek School, generally outperform Bitterroot School on state assessments and have higher statewide rankings, suggesting that Bitterroot School may face challenges in providing a competitive educational experience.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1801 Bench Blvd
Billings, MT 59105

(406) 281-6205

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
234^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,855

Students who attend Bitterroot School usually attend:

Middle:	Castle Rock Middle School
High:	Skyview High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 287

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.7%

Hispanic:

10.8%

Two or more races:

10.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 50%

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Compare Bitterroot School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bitterroot School ranks worse than 70.5% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 15^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.31. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.7%), Hispanic (10.8%), two or more races (10.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bitterroot School is 15.6. 12 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Bitterroot School employs 18.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bitterroot School is $11,855, which is the 10^th highest among 22 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bitterroot School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Billings Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Billings Elementary 169^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bitterroot School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	46.47	131^st	217	39.6%
2005	44.95	140^th	218	35.8%
2006	65.57	75^th	234	67.9%
2007	49.93	134^th	230	41.7%
2008	46.74	128^th	194	34.0%
2009	65.06	64^th	190	66.3%
2010	49.76	148^th	241	38.6%
2011	43.33	168^th	247	32.0%
2012	51.56	144^th	244	41.0%
2013	44.82	168^th	246	31.7%
2015	47.55	160^th	287	44.3%
2016	43.41	113^th	191	40.8%
2017	24.38	93^rd	109	14.7%
2018	25.75	96^th	116	17.2%
2019	31.40	84^th	123	31.7%
2021	46.73	224^th	356	37.1%
2022	36.38	247^th	329	24.9%
2023	37.31	234^th	332	29.5%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Bitterroot School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	321	321
1991	294	0	2	9	6	n/a	n/a	0	311
1992	310	1	1	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	322
1993	281	0	1	8	13	n/a	n/a	0	303
1994	283	0	0	8	15	n/a	n/a	0	306
1995	293	0	1	6	20	n/a	n/a	0	320
1996	293	0	1	6	20	n/a	n/a	0	320
1997	301	0	1	8	13	n/a	n/a	0	323
1998	274	2	4	11	17	n/a	n/a	0	308
1999	262	3	4	18	17	n/a	n/a	0	304
2000	279	2	4	14	18	n/a	n/a	0	317
2001	268	1	3	15	16	n/a	n/a	0	303
2002	351	1	2	18	22	n/a	n/a	0	394
2003	351	1	2	18	22	n/a	n/a	0	394
2004	382	3	4	20	18	n/a	n/a	0	427
2005	395	2	1	21	25	n/a	n/a	0	444
2006	363	7	2	25	24	n/a	n/a	0	421
2007	337	10	5	26	25	n/a	n/a	0	403
2008	266	9	5	18	17	n/a	n/a	0	315
2009	269	10	4	12	21	n/a	n/a	0	316
2010	285	10	7	15	25	n/a	n/a	0	342
2011	269	3	0	21	12	2	17	0	324
2012	287	2	0	26	7	2	23	0	347
2013	293	1	0	28	11	2	34	0	369
2014	272	1	0	29	10	2	38	0	352
2015	284	1	0	25	13	2	50	0	375
2016	290	3	1	30	14	0	47	0	385
2017	271	5	1	27	16	0	43	0	363
2018	260	6	1	30	29	0	43	0	369
2019	248	4	1	22	23	1	36	0	335
2020	257	4	0	26	14	0	35	0	336
2021	226	4	1	24	21	0	27	0	303
2022	210	1	2	26	20	0	30	0	289
2023	203	1	2	31	20	0	30	0	287

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bitterroot School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	321	14.6	21.9	18.1
1991	311	14.1	22.0	18.3
1992	322	13.0	24.7	18.9
1993	303	15.2	19.9	21.5
1994	306	14.4	21.3	21.9
1995	320	15.7	20.4	25
1996	320	15.7	20.4	25
1997	323	14.7	22.0	22.9
1998	308	14.6	21.1	23.4
1999	304	16.4	18.5	41.4
2000	317	18.3	17.3	39.4
2001	303	18.2	16.6	36
2002	394	22.2	17.7	43.7
2003	394	22.2	17.7	43.7
2004	427	21.7	19.7	37.5
2005	444	23.0	19.3	35.6
2006	421	24.2	17.4	34.9
2007	403	23.7	17.0	38.2
2008	315	21.2	14.9	35.6
2009	316	18.9	16.7	33.2
2010	342	19.5	17.4	40.4
2011	324	20.4	15.8	38
2012	347	17.4	19.8	41.2
2013	369	18.9	19.5	36.3
2014	352	21.9	16.0	35.8
2015	375	22.0	17.0	38.7
2016	385	22.0	17.5	41.8
2017	363	20.3	17.8	43
2018	369	20.9	17.6	39.8
2019	335	21.0	15.9	43
2020	336	21.6	15.5	50
2021	303	17.4	17.4	n/a
2022	289	18.4	15.6	n/a
2023	287	18.3	15.6	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bitterroot School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	321	14.6	21.9	18.1
1991	311	14.1	22.0	18.3
1992	322	13.0	24.7	18.9
1993	303	15.2	19.9	21.5
1994	306	14.4	21.3	21.9
1995	320	15.7	20.4	25
1996	320	15.7	20.4	25
1997	323	14.7	22.0	22.9
1998	308	14.6	21.1	23.4
1999	304	16.4	18.5	41.4
2000	317	18.3	17.3	39.4
2001	303	18.2	16.6	36
2002	394	22.2	17.7	43.7
2003	394	22.2	17.7	43.7
2004	427	21.7	19.7	37.5
2005	444	23.0	19.3	35.6
2006	421	24.2	17.4	34.9
2007	403	23.7	17.0	38.2
2008	315	21.2	14.9	35.6
2009	316	18.9	16.7	33.2
2010	342	19.5	17.4	40.4
2011	324	20.4	15.8	38
2012	347	17.4	19.8	41.2
2013	369	18.9	19.5	36.3
2014	352	21.9	16.0	35.8
2015	375	22.0	17.0	38.7
2016	385	22.0	17.5	41.8
2017	363	20.3	17.8	43
2018	369	20.9	17.6	39.8
2019	335	21.0	15.9	43
2020	336	21.6	15.5	50
2021	303	17.4	17.4	n/a
2022	289	18.4	15.6	n/a
2023	287	18.3	15.6	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bitterroot School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$12,231
2022	$12,661
2023	$11,854

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bitterroot School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 84^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 234^th of 332 Elementary schools	2.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	335	287	14.3%
African American	4	1	75%
American Indian	23	20	13%
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	22	31	40.9%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	248	203	18.1%
Two or More Races	36	30	16.7%

Schools Near Bitterroot School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2023)	Montana State Tests Reading (2023)	Montana State Tests Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science All Grades	Total
Bitterroot School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Bench Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6205	287	18	15.6		203 (70.7%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (10.8%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.5%)	37.3	234^th of 332 public elementary schools	29.5%		36.4	247^th of 329 public elementary schools	24.9%	13	32.3	34.2	31.4	$11,855
Beartooth School	Public	PK, KG-5	1345 Elaine Street	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6202	352	22	16.0		263 (74.7%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.0%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.3%)	56.9	156^th of 332 public elementary schools	53.0%		43.4	225^th of 329 public elementary schools	31.6%	69	36.7	43.8	43.6	$11,630
Bench School	Public	PK, KG-5	505 Milton Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6203	339	23	14.7		180 (53.1%)	6 (1.8%)	35 (10.3%)	2 (0.6%)	81 (23.9%)	2 (0.6%)	33 (9.7%)	20.4	282^nd of 332 public elementary schools	15.1%		19.7	288^th of 329 public elementary schools	12.5%	6	22.1	21.4	26.1	$11,799
Independent School	Public	PK, KG-6	2907 Roundup Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Independent Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 259-8109	297	19	15.7		256 (86.2%)	4 (1.3%)	20 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	4 (1.3%)	9 (3.0%)	56	161^st of 332 public elementary schools	51.5%		76.6	83^rd of 329 public elementary schools	74.8%	78	44.3	45.9	33.3	$9,595
Sandstone School	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Nutter Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6220	416	24	17.3		305 (73.3%)	9 (2.2%)	35 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (8.2%)	3 (0.7%)	29 (7.0%)	46.7	199^th of 332 public elementary schools	40.1%		48.6	206^th of 329 public elementary schools	37.4%	7	40.3	37.0	33.3	$11,038
Alkali Creek School	Public	PK, KG-5	681 Alkali Creek Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6200	336	21	16.1		253 (75.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.1%)	3 (0.9%)	27 (8.0%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.3%)	62	131^st of 332 public elementary schools	60.5%		57.8	159^th of 329 public elementary schools	51.7%	28	49.1	40.0	43.1	$11,286
Eagle Cliffs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Kootenai	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6210	416	26	16.0		343 (82.5%)	5 (1.2%)	20 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.1%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.0%)	55.4	165^th of 332 public elementary schools	50.3%		64.2	137^th of 329 public elementary schools	58.4%	28	48.9	48.1	26.6	$10,886
Lockwood Intermediate	Public	3-5	1932 US Highway 87 E.	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Lockwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 248-3239	365	27	13.5		287 (78.6%)	4 (1.1%)	29 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.5%)								(n/a)
Lockwood Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	1932 US Highway 87 E.	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Lockwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 252-2776	374	26	14.3		298 (79.7%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.2%)								(n/a)
Pioneer School	Public	PK, KG-8	1937 Dover Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Pioneer Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5357	72	6	12.0		57 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.4	246^th of 332 public elementary schools	25.9%		43.3	227^th of 329 public elementary schools	31.0%	19	29.4	35.3		$11,664

Frequently Asked Questions about Bitterroot School

What schools do graduates of Bitterroot School attend?

Students who attend Bitterroot School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Castle Rock Middle School
High : Skyview High School

What district is Bitterroot School in?

Billings Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Bitterroot School?

Students at Bitterroot School are 71% White, 11% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 7% American Indian.

How many students attend Bitterroot School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 287 students attended Bitterroot School.

Is Bitterroot School a good school?

Bitterroot School ranks 234^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Bitterroot School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.