Sandstone School

Q: Is Sandstone School a good school?

Sandstone School ranks 199 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sandstone School is an elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Billings, Montana, with 416 students. While the school has a slightly higher academic performance than the surrounding Billings Elementary district, it has seen a decline in its statewide ranking in recent years and faces some challenges compared to nearby schools.

Sandstone School's test scores on the Montana state assessments are generally higher than the district and state averages, with 40.28% of students proficient or better in Math and 36.97% in Reading. However, the school has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17.3 students per teacher, compared to lower ratios at schools like McKinley School (13.0) and Highland School (15.9). Additionally, Sandstone School's spending per student of $8,941 is lower than the spending at nearby schools like McKinley ($9,348) and Highland ($9,497).

Despite its relatively strong test scores, Sandstone School's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, from 70th out of 123 Montana elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 199th out of 332 in 2022-2023. This suggests the school may be underperforming compared to other elementary schools in the state. On a positive note, Sandstone School has a more racially diverse student population than some of the nearby schools, and its proximity to other elementary schools in the Billings area could present opportunities for collaboration and resource-sharing.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1440 Nutter Blvd
Billings, MT 59105

(406) 281-6220

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
199^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,038

Students who attend Sandstone School usually attend:

Middle:	Castle Rock Middle School
High:	Skyview High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 390

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.7%

Hispanic:

10.5%

American Indian:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.9%

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Compare Sandstone School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sandstone School ranks worse than 59.9% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 13^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.67. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (69.7%), Hispanic (10.5%), American Indian (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sandstone School is 17.8. 18 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sandstone School employs 21.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sandstone School is $11,038. 18 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sandstone 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 Sandstone School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	90.74	12^th	217	94.5%
2005	45.14	139^th	218	36.2%
2006	54.93	120^th	234	48.7%
2007	46.90	144^th	230	37.4%
2008	62.69	75^th	194	61.3%
2009	63.03	75^th	190	60.5%
2010	59.76	102^nd	241	57.7%
2011	58.43	119^th	247	51.8%
2012	49.21	156^th	244	36.1%
2013	52.75	144^th	246	41.5%
2015	41.91	180^th	287	37.3%
2016	49.96	96^th	191	49.7%
2017	40.02	69^th	109	36.7%
2018	46.33	64^th	116	44.8%
2019	43.85	70^th	123	43.1%
2021	60.60	157^th	356	55.9%
2022	48.60	206^th	329	37.4%
2023	46.67	199^th	332	40.1%

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 Sandstone 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	437	437
1991	399	4	1	19	40	n/a	n/a	0	463
1992	391	1	2	13	36	n/a	n/a	0	443
1993	401	2	2	8	36	n/a	n/a	0	449
1994	371	3	5	6	29	n/a	n/a	0	414
1995	384	4	5	7	20	n/a	n/a	0	420
1996	384	4	5	7	20	n/a	n/a	0	420
1997	355	8	8	9	24	n/a	n/a	0	404
1998	334	9	5	7	23	n/a	n/a	0	378
1999	327	8	6	9	31	n/a	n/a	0	381
2000	332	8	11	6	29	n/a	n/a	0	386
2001	316	10	5	11	31	n/a	n/a	0	373
2002	356	11	14	21	40	n/a	n/a	0	442
2003	356	11	14	21	40	n/a	n/a	0	442
2004	385	9	13	19	46	n/a	n/a	0	472
2005	350	9	12	13	31	n/a	n/a	0	415
2006	347	9	9	19	38	n/a	n/a	0	422
2007	353	11	7	20	35	n/a	n/a	0	426
2008	356	13	9	22	52	n/a	n/a	0	452
2009	339	9	11	14	43	n/a	n/a	0	416
2010	377	14	8	19	43	n/a	n/a	0	461
2011	374	8	1	25	44	1	23	0	476
2012	346	9	1	29	53	0	39	0	477
2013	364	3	2	28	48	0	46	0	491
2014	362	0	1	39	33	0	38	0	473
2015	385	4	1	52	40	0	38	0	520
2016	381	1	0	57	33	0	46	0	518
2017	319	2	2	33	31	0	36	0	423
2018	304	5	2	32	22	0	39	0	404
2019	318	3	4	26	19	2	33	0	405
2020	322	3	2	27	31	2	34	0	421
2021	312	5	2	29	32	1	30	0	411
2022	307	7	1	28	41	0	34	0	418
2023	305	9	1	35	34	3	29	0	416
2024	272	9	1	41	36	4	27	0	390

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 Sandstone School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	437	20.5	21.3	18.1
1991	463	20.2	22.9	17.7
1992	443	20.0	22.1	18.5
1993	449	22.0	20.4	19.6
1994	414	20.7	20.0	13.8
1995	420	21.5	19.5	17.9
1996	420	21.5	19.5	17.9
1997	404	21.0	19.2	18.1
1998	378	19.8	19.1	17.2
1999	381	18.7	20.4	28.9
2000	386	18.5	20.9	27.2
2001	373	20.6	18.1	27.3
2002	442	25.0	17.7	33
2003	442	25.0	17.7	33
2004	472	27.6	17.1	31.6
2005	415	27.0	15.4	36.6
2006	422	25.4	16.6	30.1
2007	426	26.6	16.0	34.3
2008	452	26.7	16.9	34.7
2009	416	26.5	15.7	36.8
2010	461	26.3	17.5	36.4
2011	476	25.8	18.4	38.2
2012	477	25.7	18.5	42.8
2013	491	25.2	19.4	43
2014	473	24.9	18.9	44.8
2015	520	27.0	19.2	38.5
2016	518	27.0	19.1	48.8
2017	423	24.7	17.0	45.4
2018	404	24.0	16.7	39.6
2019	405	26.8	15.0	42
2020	421	25.3	16.6	44.9
2021	411	22.1	18.5	n/a
2022	418	25.0	16.6	n/a
2023	416	23.9	17.3	n/a
2024	390	21.8	17.8	36.9

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 Sandstone School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	437	20.5	21.3	18.1
1991	463	20.2	22.9	17.7
1992	443	20.0	22.1	18.5
1993	449	22.0	20.4	19.6
1994	414	20.7	20.0	13.8
1995	420	21.5	19.5	17.9
1996	420	21.5	19.5	17.9
1997	404	21.0	19.2	18.1
1998	378	19.8	19.1	17.2
1999	381	18.7	20.4	28.9
2000	386	18.5	20.9	27.2
2001	373	20.6	18.1	27.3
2002	442	25.0	17.7	33
2003	442	25.0	17.7	33
2004	472	27.6	17.1	31.6
2005	415	27.0	15.4	36.6
2006	422	25.4	16.6	30.1
2007	426	26.6	16.0	34.3
2008	452	26.7	16.9	34.7
2009	416	26.5	15.7	36.8
2010	461	26.3	17.5	36.4
2011	476	25.8	18.4	38.2
2012	477	25.7	18.5	42.8
2013	491	25.2	19.4	43
2014	473	24.9	18.9	44.8
2015	520	27.0	19.2	38.5
2016	518	27.0	19.1	48.8
2017	423	24.7	17.0	45.4
2018	404	24.0	16.7	39.6
2019	405	26.8	15.0	42
2020	421	25.3	16.6	44.9
2021	411	22.1	18.5	n/a
2022	418	25.0	16.6	n/a
2023	416	23.9	17.3	n/a
2024	390	21.8	17.8	36.9

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 Sandstone School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,941
2021	$11,802
2022	$12,381
2023	$11,038

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sandstone 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 70^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 199^th of 332 Elementary schools	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	405	416	2.7%
African American	3	9	200%
American Indian	19	34	78.9%
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	26	35	34.6%
Pacific Islander	2	3	50%
White	318	305	4.1%
Two or More Races	33	29	12.1%

Schools Near Sandstone 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
Sandstone School	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Nutter Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6220	390	22	17.8	36.9%	272 (69.7%)	9 (2.3%)	41 (10.5%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (9.2%)	4 (1.0%)	27 (6.9%)	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	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
Eagle Cliffs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Kootenai	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6210	423	24	17.4	17.0%	320 (75.7%)	6 (1.4%)	38 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.9%)	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
Bench School	Public	PK, KG-5	505 Milton Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6203	314	23	13.9	68.2%	182 (58.0%)	3 (1.0%)	34 (10.8%)	2 (0.6%)	60 (19.1%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.2%)	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
Bitterroot School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Bench Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6205	289	17	16.7	36.3%	208 (72.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (10.4%)	2 (0.7%)	15 (5.2%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (11.1%)	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	16.2	45.2%	239 (67.9%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (8.8%)	1 (0.3%)	54 (15.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.1%)	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
Independent School	Public	PK, KG-6	2907 Roundup Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Independent Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 259-8109	299	18	16.2	28.1%	250 (83.6%)	3 (1.0%)	19 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	5 (1.7%)	15 (5.0%)	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
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
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
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	339	26	13.2	58.4%	247 (72.9%)	3 (0.9%)	49 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.5%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Sandstone School

Is Sandstone School a good school?

Sandstone School ranks 199^th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sandstone School attend?

Students who attend Sandstone School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Castle Rock Middle School
High : Skyview High School

How many students attend Sandstone School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 390 students attended Sandstone School.

What is the racial makeup of Sandstone School?

Students at Sandstone School are 70% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% American Indian, 7% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Pacific Islander.

What district is Sandstone School in?

Billings Elementary

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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.