Highland School

Q: Is Highland School a good school?

Highland School ranks 159 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Highland School is an elementary school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 269 students. The school is part of the Billings Elementary District, which is ranked 169 out of 300 districts in Montana and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Highland School consistently outperforms the Billings Elementary District and the state of Montana in academic proficiency across all subjects, with 44.36% of students proficient or better in Math, 42.86% in Reading, and 36.96% in Science. This is a significant improvement from the school's lower rankings in the past, as it has now climbed to a statewide ranking of 159 out of 332 elementary schools in Montana, earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, Highland School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with a higher percentage of non-White students.

These factors make Highland School an attractive option for families in the Billings area. The school's consistent academic performance, improving statewide ranking, and diverse student population suggest that it is effectively supporting student learning and achievement, despite being part of a district that is only rated 2 stars out of 5. Families seeking a strong-performing elementary school with a more inclusive educational environment may find Miles Avenue School, Orchard School, or Burlington School to be viable alternatives in the Billings area.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

729 Parkhill
Billings, MT 59102

(406) 281-6211

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
159^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,198

Students who attend Highland School usually attend:

Middle:	Lewis & Clark Middle School
High:	Billings Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 271

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.0%

Hispanic:

8.9%

American Indian:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland School ranks better than 52.1% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 10^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.59. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76%), Hispanic (8.9%), American Indian (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland School is 15.4. 11 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Highland School employs 17.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland School is $11,198. 16 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Highland 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 Highland School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	75.33	45^th	217	79.3%
2005	62.41	90^th	218	58.7%
2006	73.22	38^th	234	83.8%
2007	62.61	87^th	230	62.2%
2008	56.64	91^st	194	53.1%
2009	57.93	91^st	190	52.1%
2010	71.25	47^th	241	80.5%
2011	61.72	101^st	247	59.1%
2012	54.67	124^th	244	49.2%
2013	57.90	115^th	246	53.3%
2015	43.71	175^th	287	39.0%
2016	29.07	145^th	191	24.1%
2017	30.78	81^st	109	25.7%
2018	25.99	95^th	116	18.1%
2019	30.12	89^th	123	27.6%
2021	72.30	108^th	356	69.7%
2022	68.52	122^nd	329	62.9%
2023	56.59	159^th	332	52.1%

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 Highland 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	290	290
1991	258	3	19	25	6	n/a	n/a	0	311
1992	287	5	0	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	300
1993	282	6	2	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	297
1994	270	5	2	8	8	n/a	n/a	0	293
1995	245	1	9	4	9	n/a	n/a	0	268
1996	245	1	9	4	9	n/a	n/a	0	268
1997	283	2	12	15	26	n/a	n/a	0	338
1998	258	5	8	13	26	n/a	n/a	0	310
1999	247	4	6	11	35	n/a	n/a	0	303
2000	233	11	8	9	33	n/a	n/a	0	294
2001	217	4	7	8	32	n/a	n/a	0	268
2002	264	5	1	13	22	n/a	n/a	0	305
2003	264	5	1	13	22	n/a	n/a	0	305
2004	257	11	1	12	9	n/a	n/a	0	290
2005	252	8	2	7	10	n/a	n/a	0	279
2006	243	6	3	10	22	n/a	n/a	0	284
2007	252	6	3	10	25	n/a	n/a	0	296
2008	244	5	3	12	25	n/a	n/a	0	289
2009	245	8	3	19	23	n/a	n/a	0	298
2010	263	8	1	21	14	n/a	n/a	0	307
2011	242	2	1	23	9	0	10	0	287
2012	265	2	1	25	9	0	12	0	314
2013	263	4	2	23	12	0	20	0	324
2014	243	1	1	21	10	0	26	0	302
2015	251	3	0	17	12	0	27	0	310
2016	229	4	0	27	8	0	36	0	304
2017	242	3	0	30	4	0	31	0	310
2018	225	4	0	32	1	1	29	0	292
2019	197	7	0	36	6	0	24	0	270
2020	184	7	0	29	10	1	21	0	252
2021	178	4	0	20	19	0	24	0	245
2022	182	5	2	22	16	0	23	0	250
2023	204	2	1	21	21	0	20	0	269
2024	206	1	2	24	19	0	19	0	271

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 Highland School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	290	12.5	23.2	18.3
1991	311	13.0	23.9	26
1992	300	12.0	25.0	26.7
1993	297	17.9	16.6	27.3
1994	293	17.8	16.5	22.2
1995	268	13.8	19.4	20.9
1996	268	13.8	19.4	20.9
1997	338	16.5	20.5	33.4
1998	310	15.1	20.5	29
1999	303	16.3	18.6	45.5
2000	294	15.7	18.7	38.4
2001	268	16.8	16.0	37.7
2002	305	17.2	17.7	26.2
2003	305	17.2	17.7	26.2
2004	290	18.3	15.8	28.6
2005	279	18.4	15.2	20.4
2006	284	18.6	15.3	27.8
2007	296	18.7	15.8	28.4
2008	289	17.4	16.6	30.8
2009	298	17.3	17.2	33.9
2010	307	18.3	16.7	34.9
2011	287	17.3	16.5	37.3
2012	314	16.2	19.3	40.8
2013	324	18.4	17.6	34.6
2014	302	18.4	16.4	36.4
2015	310	18.0	17.2	32.6
2016	304	18.0	16.8	41.1
2017	310	19.1	16.1	37.7
2018	292	17.7	16.4	36.3
2019	270	16.5	16.3	38.1
2020	252	15.5	16.2	42.9
2021	245	15.6	15.7	n/a
2022	250	16.5	15.0	n/a
2023	269	16.8	15.9	n/a
2024	271	17.5	15.4	31.4

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 Highland School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	290	12.5	23.2	18.3
1991	311	13.0	23.9	26
1992	300	12.0	25.0	26.7
1993	297	17.9	16.6	27.3
1994	293	17.8	16.5	22.2
1995	268	13.8	19.4	20.9
1996	268	13.8	19.4	20.9
1997	338	16.5	20.5	33.4
1998	310	15.1	20.5	29
1999	303	16.3	18.6	45.5
2000	294	15.7	18.7	38.4
2001	268	16.8	16.0	37.7
2002	305	17.2	17.7	26.2
2003	305	17.2	17.7	26.2
2004	290	18.3	15.8	28.6
2005	279	18.4	15.2	20.4
2006	284	18.6	15.3	27.8
2007	296	18.7	15.8	28.4
2008	289	17.4	16.6	30.8
2009	298	17.3	17.2	33.9
2010	307	18.3	16.7	34.9
2011	287	17.3	16.5	37.3
2012	314	16.2	19.3	40.8
2013	324	18.4	17.6	34.6
2014	302	18.4	16.4	36.4
2015	310	18.0	17.2	32.6
2016	304	18.0	16.8	41.1
2017	310	19.1	16.1	37.7
2018	292	17.7	16.4	36.3
2019	270	16.5	16.3	38.1
2020	252	15.5	16.2	42.9
2021	245	15.6	15.7	n/a
2022	250	16.5	15.0	n/a
2023	269	16.8	15.9	n/a
2024	271	17.5	15.4	31.4

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 Highland School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,496
2021	$12,464
2022	$12,912
2023	$11,198

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland 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 89^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 159^th of 332 Elementary schools	24.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	270	269	0.4%
African American	7	2	71.4%
American Indian	6	21	250%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	36	21	41.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	197	204	3.6%
Two or More Races	24	20	16.7%

Schools Near Highland 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
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-5	729 Parkhill	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6211	271	18	15.4	31.4%	206 (76.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.9%)	2 (0.7%)	19 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.0%)	56.6	159^th of 332 public elementary schools	52.1%		68.5	122^nd of 329 public elementary schools	62.9%	37	44.4	42.9	37.0	$11,198
McKinley School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 North 31st Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6212	299	24	12.4	69.9%	167 (55.9%)	4 (1.3%)	32 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	61 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.7%)	75.2	83^rd of 332 public elementary schools	75.0%		49.3	204^th of 329 public elementary schools	38.0%	121	48.8	51.2	51.3	$11,884
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Broadwater	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6207	301	25	12.0	61.8%	191 (63.5%)	4 (1.3%)	44 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.3%)	33.1	249^th of 332 public elementary schools	25.0%		33.6	256^th of 329 public elementary schools	22.2%	7	26.4	30.8	34.0	$12,815
Washington School	Public	PK, KG-5	1044 Cook Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6221	208	18	11.3	74.5%	104 (50.0%)	9 (4.3%)	33 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (22.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.7%)	36.5	238^th of 332 public elementary schools	28.3%		26.4	272^nd of 329 public elementary schools	17.3%	34	35.3	36.9	24.5	$13,101
Rose Park School	Public	PK, KG-5	1812 19th Street West	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6219	263	18	14.9	33.1%	194 (73.8%)	3 (1.1%)	27 (10.3%)	2 (0.8%)	14 (5.3%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.0%)	50.4	191^st of 332 public elementary schools	42.5%		34	254^th of 329 public elementary schools	22.8%	63	36.5	40.5	38.5	$11,280
Miles Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 Miles Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6214	269	19	13.8	43.5%	187 (69.5%)	6 (2.2%)	38 (14.1%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.7%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (6.3%)	37.1	235^th of 332 public elementary schools	29.2%		27.5	271^st of 329 public elementary schools	17.6%	36	37.1	25.9	32.3	$12,926
Orchard School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Jackson Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6216	290	21	13.7	77.9%	130 (44.8%)	4 (1.4%)	56 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (20.0%)	1 (0.3%)	41 (14.1%)	21.6	278^th of 332 public elementary schools	16.3%		18.6	291^st of 329 public elementary schools	11.6%	13	23.4	23.4	25.6	$12,092
Burlington School	Public	PK, KG-5	2135 Lewis Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6208	274	19	14.8	35.8%	191 (69.7%)	6 (2.2%)	27 (9.9%)	4 (1.5%)	18 (6.6%)	5 (1.8%)	23 (8.4%)	59.7	145^th of 332 public elementary schools	56.3%		43.5	223^rd of 329 public elementary schools	32.2%	78	46.1	39.1	43.2	$11,903
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	321	20	16.3	22.1%	246 (76.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (8.4%)	5 (1.6%)	15 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.4%)	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
Poly Drive School	Public	PK, KG-5	2410 Poly Drive	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6217	298	19	16.0	22.5%	230 (77.2%)	4 (1.3%)	24 (8.1%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (6.4%)	3 (1.0%)	17 (5.7%)	61.7	134^th of 332 public elementary schools	59.6%		74.5	97^th of 329 public elementary schools	70.5%	37	49.4	46.2	36.5	$11,264

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland School

What schools do graduates of Highland School attend?

Students who attend Highland School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lewis & Clark Middle School
High : Billings Senior High School

What district is Highland School in?

Billings Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Highland School?

Students at Highland School are 76% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% American Indian, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Highland School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 271 students attended Highland School.

Is Highland School a good school?

Highland School ranks 159^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.