Blue Creek School

Q: Is Blue Creek School a good school?

Blue Creek School ranks 116 th of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Blue Creek School is an elementary school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 181 students. The school is part of the Billings Elementary District, which is ranked 102 out of 300 districts in Montana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Blue Creek School stands out for its strong academic performance, consistently scoring above the state averages in mathematics, reading, and science on state assessments. In the 2022-2023 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 43.12% in mathematics, 44.04% in reading, and 51.72% in science, all of which are above the state averages. However, the school's student population is significantly less diverse than the nearby Central Heights School and McKinley School, which have more diverse student populations and also perform well academically.

While Blue Creek School has a strong history of high rankings among Montana elementary schools, reaching as high as 14th out of 241 schools in the 2009-2010 school year, its ranking has fluctuated over the years, dropping to 116th out of 332 schools in the most recent 2022-2023 school year. This suggests that the school's performance may be influenced by factors beyond just academic achievement, such as changes in student demographics or district-level policies. The data also highlights the importance of considering the broader context of the surrounding schools and district-level factors when evaluating the school's performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3652 Blue Creek Road
Billings, MT 59101

(406) 259-0653

District: Blue Creek Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
116^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,076

Students who attend Blue Creek School usually attend:

High:

Billings Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 181

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.5%

Hispanic:

3.9%

American Indian:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Blue Creek School ranks better than 65.1% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.75. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.5%), Hispanic (3.9%), American Indian (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blue Creek School is 12. (See more...)

Compare Blue Creek School employs 15 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blue Creek School is $10,076.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Blue Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Blue Creek Elementary 102^nd of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Blue Creek School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	83.47	30^th	217	86.2%
2005	80.38	36^th	218	83.5%
2006	85.08	9^th	234	96.2%
2007	75.56	29^th	230	87.4%
2008	76.64	24^th	194	87.6%
2009	80.92	10^th	190	94.7%
2010	80.83	14^th	241	94.2%
2011	74.47	37^th	247	85.0%
2012	68.50	63^rd	244	74.2%
2013	66.66	69^th	246	72.0%
2015	77.10	70^th	287	75.6%
2016	35.51	131^st	191	31.4%
2021	59.38	161^st	356	54.8%
2022	50.08	196^th	329	40.4%
2023	66.75	116^th	332	65.1%

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 Blue Creek 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	90	90
1991	95	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	95
1992	94	0	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	96
1993	105	0	0	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	112
1994	93	0	3	0	5	n/a	n/a	0	101
1995	117	2	5	0	7	n/a	n/a	0	131
1996	117	2	5	0	7	n/a	n/a	0	131
1997	131	2	3	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	143
1998	139	1	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	149
1999	147	2	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	158
2000	148	2	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	159
2001	161	2	3	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	173
2002	181	1	1	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	190
2003	181	1	1	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	190
2004	194	0	2	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	204
2005	191	1	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	200
2006	198	1	1	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	208
2007	218	0	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	229
2008	206	0	1	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	218
2009	199	0	2	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	208
2010	182	0	2	4	5	n/a	n/a	0	193
2011	180	0	0	11	7	2	1	0	201
2012	179	1	0	11	9	2	1	0	203
2013	171	1	0	12	6	1	1	0	192
2014	178	1	0	9	7	0	4	0	199
2015	179	1	0	13	6	0	5	0	204
2016	181	3	0	11	4	0	2	0	201
2017	173	3	0	13	4	0	4	0	197
2018	174	1	0	11	4	0	3	0	193
2019	165	2	2	13	5	0	5	0	192
2020	161	1	2	12	4	0	9	0	189
2021	154	1	0	12	3	0	7	0	177
2022	155	1	0	8	6	0	6	0	176
2023	162	2	0	7	6	0	4	0	181

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 Blue Creek School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	90	6.0	15.0	n/a
1991	95	6.5	14.6	0
1992	96	6.5	14.7	n/a
1993	112	7.5	14.9	94.6
1994	101	7.0	14.4	0
1995	131	7.2	18.2	0
1996	131	7.2	18.2	0
1997	143	8.0	17.9	0
1998	149	6.9	21.6	0
1999	158	9.2	17.2	17.1
2000	159	9.4	16.9	21.4
2001	173	12.5	13.8	22
2002	190	11.4	16.7	16.8
2003	190	11.4	16.7	16.8
2004	204	12.8	15.9	12.7
2005	200	13.9	14.4	11
2006	208	12.9	16.1	9.6
2007	229	13.6	16.8	14.8
2008	218	15.5	14.1	15.6
2009	208	17.4	12.0	12.5
2010	193	15.5	12.4	13
2011	201	15.5	12.9	13.4
2012	203	15.5	13.0	19.2
2013	192	15.0	12.8	18.2
2014	199	16.0	12.4	14.6
2015	204	16.0	12.7	20.1
2016	201	15.0	13.4	22.4
2017	197	15.5	12.7	21.3
2018	193	14.5	13.3	20.2
2019	192	15.0	12.8	17.7
2020	189	14.5	13.0	16.4
2021	177	14.5	12.2	n/a
2022	176	14.5	12.1	n/a
2023	181	15.0	12.0	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 Blue Creek School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	90	6.0	15.0	n/a
1991	95	6.5	14.6	0
1992	96	6.5	14.7	n/a
1993	112	7.5	14.9	94.6
1994	101	7.0	14.4	0
1995	131	7.2	18.2	0
1996	131	7.2	18.2	0
1997	143	8.0	17.9	0
1998	149	6.9	21.6	0
1999	158	9.2	17.2	17.1
2000	159	9.4	16.9	21.4
2001	173	12.5	13.8	22
2002	190	11.4	16.7	16.8
2003	190	11.4	16.7	16.8
2004	204	12.8	15.9	12.7
2005	200	13.9	14.4	11
2006	208	12.9	16.1	9.6
2007	229	13.6	16.8	14.8
2008	218	15.5	14.1	15.6
2009	208	17.4	12.0	12.5
2010	193	15.5	12.4	13
2011	201	15.5	12.9	13.4
2012	203	15.5	13.0	19.2
2013	192	15.0	12.8	18.2
2014	199	16.0	12.4	14.6
2015	204	16.0	12.7	20.1
2016	201	15.0	13.4	22.4
2017	197	15.5	12.7	21.3
2018	193	14.5	13.3	20.2
2019	192	15.0	12.8	17.7
2020	189	14.5	13.0	16.4
2021	177	14.5	12.2	n/a
2022	176	14.5	12.1	n/a
2023	181	15.0	12.0	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 Blue Creek School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$10,012
2022	$9,857
2023	$10,076

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blue Creek 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	192	181	5.7%
African American	2	2
American Indian	5	6	20%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	13	7	46.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	165	162	1.8%
Two or More Races	5	4	20%

Schools Near Blue Creek 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
Blue Creek School	Public	PK, KG-6	3652 Blue Creek Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Blue Creek Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 259-0653	181	15	12.0		162 (89.5%)	2 (1.1%)	7 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	66.7	116^th of 332 public elementary schools	65.1%		50.1	196^th of 329 public elementary schools	40.4%	80	43.1	44.0	51.7	$10,076
Ponderosa School	Public	PK, KG-5	4188 King Avenue East	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6218	274	21	13.2		155 (56.6%)	7 (2.6%)	41 (15.0%)	1 (0.4%)	52 (19.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.6%)	13.5	299^th of 332 public elementary schools	9.9%		20.2	285^th of 329 public elementary schools	13.4%	14	23.9	16.9	11.8	$11,833
Newman School	Public	PK, KG-5	605 South Billings Blvd	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6215	215	19	11.5		122 (56.7%)	5 (2.3%)	45 (20.9%)	1 (0.5%)	26 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.4%)	14.3	296^th of 332 public elementary schools	10.8%		12.2	303^rd of 329 public elementary schools	7.9%	7	18.6	23.5	17.1	$12,768
Elysian School	Public	PK, KG-5	6416 Elysian Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Elysian Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4101	307	21	14.7		245 (79.8%)	3 (1.0%)	23 (7.5%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	78.8	69^th of 332 public elementary schools	79.2%		79.1	78^th of 329 public elementary schools	76.3%	9	48.8	57.9	50.0	$10,349
Orchard School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Jackson Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6216	300	23	12.8		140 (46.7%)	8 (2.7%)	54 (18.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (19.0%)	2 (0.7%)	39 (13.0%)	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
Washington School	Public	PK, KG-5	1044 Cook Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6221	246	21	11.8		133 (54.1%)	10 (4.1%)	38 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.9%)	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
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Broadwater	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6207	320	25	13.0		205 (64.1%)	5 (1.6%)	39 (12.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.9%)	2 (0.6%)	34 (10.6%)	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
Central Heights School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Lexington	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6209	291	20	14.6		183 (62.9%)	3 (1.0%)	44 (15.1%)	9 (3.1%)	31 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	19 (6.5%)	60.5	139^th of 332 public elementary schools	58.1%		72.7	103^rd of 329 public elementary schools	68.7%	36	56.2	43.2	34.1	$12,030
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	252	21	11.7		180 (71.4%)	6 (2.4%)	32 (12.7%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (7.1%)	2 (0.8%)	13 (5.2%)	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
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	285	22	13.0		164 (57.5%)	6 (2.1%)	26 (9.1%)	1 (0.4%)	53 (18.6%)	1 (0.4%)	34 (11.9%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Creek School

What schools do graduates of Blue Creek School attend?

Students who attend Blue Creek School usually go on to attend:

High : Billings Senior High School

What district is Blue Creek School in?

Blue Creek Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Blue Creek School?

Students at Blue Creek School are 90% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% American Indian, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Blue Creek School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 181 students attended Blue Creek School.

Is Blue Creek School a good school?

Blue Creek School ranks 116^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.