Independent School

Q: Is Independent School a good school?

Independent School ranks 161 st of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Independent School is an elementary school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 297 students. The school is part of the Billings Elementary District, which is ranked 145 out of 300 districts in Montana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Independent School stands out from nearby schools in several key ways. It has a significantly higher percentage of white students (86.2%) compared to schools like McKinley School (57.54%) and Bench School (53.1%). Academically, Independent School has consistently performed better than the state average in mathematics and reading proficiency on the Montana State Tests. In 2022-2023, 44.32% of Independent School students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to the state average of 36.59%, and 45.9% were proficient or better in reading, compared to the state average of 46.03%. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 56th out of 123 Montana elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 161st out of 332 in 2022-2023, but it has generally been in the top half of Montana elementary schools.

Another notable aspect of Independent School is its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.9 to 15.7 over the past three years, which is lower than some nearby schools like Sandstone School (17.3). This low ratio may contribute to the school's strong academic performance, as it allows for more individualized attention and support for students. However, the school's racial homogeneity and fluctuating ranking warrant further examination to ensure equitable access and continuous improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

2907 Roundup Road
Billings, MT 59105

(406) 259-8109

District: Independent Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
161^st of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,595

Students who attend Independent School usually attend:

High:

Skyview High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 299

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Independent School ranks better than 51.5% of elementary schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.98. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (83.6%), Hispanic (6.4%), two or more races (5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independent School is 16.2. (See more...)

Compare Independent School employs 18.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independent School is $9,595.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Independent Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Independent Elementary 145^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Independent School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	76.36	44^th	217	79.7%
2005	82.40	31^st	218	85.8%
2006	62.35	90^th	234	61.5%
2007	61.72	91^st	230	60.4%
2008	54.60	101^st	194	47.9%
2009	55.98	101^st	190	46.8%
2010	67.15	64^th	241	73.4%
2011	68.35	70^th	247	71.7%
2012	66.41	71^st	244	70.9%
2013	64.12	83^rd	246	66.3%
2015	48.14	156^th	287	45.6%
2016	36.73	128^th	191	33.0%
2019	56.06	56^th	123	54.5%
2021	58.21	169^th	356	52.5%
2022	76.58	83^rd	329	74.8%
2023	55.98	161^st	332	51.5%

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 Independent 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	163	163
1991	164	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	165
1992	157	0	1	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	168
1993	169	1	1	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	175
1994	178	0	1	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	184
1995	193	2	0	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	203
1996	193	2	0	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	203
1997	212	2	0	0	9	n/a	n/a	0	223
1998	216	0	0	1	9	n/a	n/a	0	226
1999	219	0	1	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	226
2000	221	2	2	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	231
2001	229	0	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	238
2002	230	1	1	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	242
2003	230	1	1	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	242
2004	229	0	6	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	244
2005	246	2	4	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	266
2006	245	0	5	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	259
2007	261	0	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	278
2008	250	0	5	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	266
2009	256	0	3	7	7	n/a	n/a	0	273
2010	249	2	2	7	7	n/a	n/a	0	267
2011	273	5	1	8	9	1	1	0	298
2012	263	1	1	7	13	0	0	0	285
2013	259	1	1	11	10	0	5	0	287
2014	275	1	0	7	10	0	6	0	299
2015	292	0	0	10	9	0	6	0	317
2016	291	0	0	8	9	0	8	0	316
2017	271	0	0	8	7	0	9	0	295
2018	267	0	0	10	6	0	11	0	294
2019	281	1	0	11	7	0	10	0	310
2020	272	1	0	16	12	0	9	0	310
2021	253	3	0	14	11	0	8	0	289
2022	268	2	0	15	6	1	10	0	302
2023	256	4	0	20	4	4	9	0	297
2024	250	3	0	19	7	5	15	0	299

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 Independent School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	163	8.3	19.6	4.3
1991	165	8.0	20.6	6.1
1992	168	7.5	22.4	7.1
1993	175	10.9	16.1	6.3
1994	184	9.9	18.6	6.5
1995	203	11.2	18.1	5.9
1996	203	11.2	18.1	5.9
1997	223	11.8	18.9	5.4
1998	226	11.8	19.2	4
1999	226	11.8	19.2	8
2000	231	14.6	15.8	6.9
2001	238	16.2	14.7	13.9
2002	242	15.8	15.3	10.3
2003	242	15.8	15.3	10.3
2004	244	16.6	14.7	11.9
2005	266	16.8	15.8	16.2
2006	259	16.6	15.6	14.3
2007	278	16.6	16.7	14
2008	266	17.5	15.2	9.8
2009	273	17.5	15.6	13.9
2010	267	17.3	15.4	16.1
2011	298	17.3	17.2	17.4
2012	285	17.3	16.4	16.5
2013	287	16.9	16.9	19.9
2014	299	16.9	17.6	19.7
2015	317	18.0	17.6	20.2
2016	316	18.0	17.5	14.6
2017	295	18.1	16.2	16.3
2018	294	18.1	16.2	15.3
2019	310	18.1	17.1	18.4
2020	310	17.9	17.2	18.1
2021	289	19.1	15.1	n/a
2022	302	20.2	14.9	n/a
2023	297	18.8	15.7	n/a
2024	299	18.3	16.2	28.1

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 Independent School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	163	8.3	19.6	4.3
1991	165	8.0	20.6	6.1
1992	168	7.5	22.4	7.1
1993	175	10.9	16.1	6.3
1994	184	9.9	18.6	6.5
1995	203	11.2	18.1	5.9
1996	203	11.2	18.1	5.9
1997	223	11.8	18.9	5.4
1998	226	11.8	19.2	4
1999	226	11.8	19.2	8
2000	231	14.6	15.8	6.9
2001	238	16.2	14.7	13.9
2002	242	15.8	15.3	10.3
2003	242	15.8	15.3	10.3
2004	244	16.6	14.7	11.9
2005	266	16.8	15.8	16.2
2006	259	16.6	15.6	14.3
2007	278	16.6	16.7	14
2008	266	17.5	15.2	9.8
2009	273	17.5	15.6	13.9
2010	267	17.3	15.4	16.1
2011	298	17.3	17.2	17.4
2012	285	17.3	16.4	16.5
2013	287	16.9	16.9	19.9
2014	299	16.9	17.6	19.7
2015	317	18.0	17.6	20.2
2016	316	18.0	17.5	14.6
2017	295	18.1	16.2	16.3
2018	294	18.1	16.2	15.3
2019	310	18.1	17.1	18.4
2020	310	17.9	17.2	18.1
2021	289	19.1	15.1	n/a
2022	302	20.2	14.9	n/a
2023	297	18.8	15.7	n/a
2024	299	18.3	16.2	28.1

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 Independent School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$7,573
2021	$9,606
2022	$9,395
2023	$9,595

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independent 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 56^th of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 161^st of 332 Elementary schools	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	310	297	4.2%
African American	1	4	300%
American Indian	7	4	42.9%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	11	20	81.8%
Pacific Islander	0	4
White	281	256	8.9%
Two or More Races	10	9	10%

Schools Near Independent 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
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
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
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
Pioneer School	Public	PK, KG-8	1937 Dover Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Pioneer Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5357	84	7	11.7	3.6%	68 (81.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (14.3%)	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
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
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
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
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)
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	387	28	14.0	55.6%	279 (72.1%)	1 (0.3%)	58 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Independent School

How many students attend Independent School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 299 students attended Independent School.

What schools do graduates of Independent School attend?

Students who attend Independent School usually go on to attend:

High : Skyview High School

Is Independent School a good school?

Independent School ranks 161^st of 332 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Independent School in?

Independent Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Independent School?

Students at Independent School are 84% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% African American.

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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.