Total enrollment
23,645
+100 (+0%) vs SY 2017-18
Yellowstone County
Montana · Public K-12
Public schools in Yellowstone County, Montana total 68, with combined enrollment of about 23,853 students against a county population of 168,957. That breaks down as 39 elementary, 17 middle, and 12 high.
7-year change in Yellowstone County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
67
+5 (+8%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
75%
was 79%
% Hispanic
9%
was 8%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
168,957
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
68
19 districts
Enrollment
23,853
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$76,570
Above Montana avg
Free/reduced lunch
48.3%
Below Montana avg
Elementary
39
11,298 students
Middle
17
5,463 students
High
12
7,092 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Billings Elem
11,377 students · 19 districts in Yellowstone County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Yellowstone County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
34.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.5%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.4%
civilian labor
Median age
39
23.0% under 18
Test scores in Yellowstone County
Latest 2020-21 ELA proficiency, 53 schools ranked. Montana state average: 47.2%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Arrowhead School· 67.0%
- Elysian School· 62.0%
- Ben Steele Middle School· 58.0%
- Meadowlark School· 57.0%
- Broadview School· 54.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Yellowstone Academy 7-8· 15.0%
- Orchard School· 17.0%
- Ponderosa School· 22.0%
- Washington School· 22.0%
- Rose Park School· 27.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings West High School | Billings | High | 09-12 | 2,115 | · |
| Billings Sr High School | Billings | High | 09-12 | 1,629 | · |
| Skyview High School | Billings | High | 09-12 | 1,542 | · |
| Lewis & Clark Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 741 | · |
| Ben Steele Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 740 | · |
| Castle Rock Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 691 | · |
| Meadowlark School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 691 | · |
| Will James Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 634 | · |
| Laurel High School | Laurel | High | 09-12 | 578 | · |
| Lockwood High School | Lockwood | High | 09-12 | 552 | · |
| Medicine Crow Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 517 | · |
| Laurel Middle School | Laurel | Middle | 05-08 | 506 | · |
| Boulder School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 495 | · |
| Elder Grove School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 465 | · |
| Eagle Cliffs Elementary | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 443 | · |
| Riverside Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 436 | · |
| Arrowhead School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 434 | · |
| Huntley Project Elem K-6 | Worden | Elementary | PK-06 | 410 | · |
| Broadwater School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 400 | · |
| Sandstone School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 393 | · |
| Beartooth School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 373 | · |
| Big Sky Elementary | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 373 | · |
| Lockwood Middle School | Lockwood | Middle | 06-08 | 359 | · |
| Lockwood Primary | Lockwood | Elementary | PK-02 | 348 | · |
| Shepherd Elementary | Shepherd | Elementary | PK-05 | 342 | · |
| Orchard School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 340 | · |
| McKinley School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 339 | · |
| Bench School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 332 | · |
| Miles Avenue School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 325 | · |
| Lockwood Intermediate | Lockwood | Elementary | 03-05 | 321 | · |
| Alkali Creek School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 310 | · |
| Elysian School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 302 | · |
| Central Heights School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 285 | · |
| Poly Drive School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 283 | · |
| Ponderosa School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 277 | · |
| Rose Park School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 277 | · |
| Independent School | Billings | Elementary | PK-06 | 272 | · |
| Bitterroot School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 264 | · |
| Burlington School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 257 | · |
| Highland School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 249 | · |
| Newman School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 249 | · |
| Elder Grove 7-8 | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 248 | · |
| West School | Laurel | Elementary | 01-02 | 248 | · |
| Fred W Graff School | Laurel | Elementary | 03-04 | 245 | · |
| Shepherd High School | Shepherd | High | 09-12 | 225 | · |
| Huntley Project High Schl | Worden | High | 09-12 | 217 | · |
| Washington School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 208 | · |
| Shepherd Middle School | Shepherd | Middle | 06-08 | 180 | · |
| South School | Laurel | Elementary | PK-KG | 158 | · |
| Elysian Middle School | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 148 | · |
| Canyon Creek School | Billings | Elementary | PK-05 | 147 | · |
| Blue Creek School | Billings | Elementary | PK-06 | 145 | · |
| Huntley Project 7-8 | Worden | Middle | 07-08 | 124 | · |
| Broadview School | Broadview | Elementary | PK-08 | 105 | · |
| Billings Opportunity School | Billings | High | 09-12 | 78 | · |
| Pioneer School | Billings | Elementary | PK-08 | 73 | · |
| Canyon Creek 6-8 | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 69 | · |
| Billings Early College School | Billings | High | 09-12 | 60 | · |
| Broadview High School | Broadview | High | 09-12 | 50 | · |
| Custer School | Custer | Elementary | PK-06 | 49 | · |
| Yellowstone Academy Elem | Billings | Elementary | PK-06 | 36 | · |
| Morin School | Billings | Elementary | PK-06 | 35 | · |
| Custer High School | Custer | High | 09-12 | 26 | · |
| Billings Multilingual Academy | Billings | Middle | 06-08 | 21 | · |
| Billings Multilingual Academy | Billings | High | 09-12 | 20 | · |
| Broadview 7-8 | Broadview | Middle | 07-08 | 20 | · |
| Yellowstone Academy 7-8 | Billings | Middle | 07-08 | 16 | · |
| Custer 7-8 | Custer | Middle | 07-08 | 13 | · |
Cities in Yellowstone County
About Yellowstone County
Across the moderately sized Montana county of Yellowstone County of about 168,957 residents, the public-school footprint covers 68 schools and about 23,853 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $76,570, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 7%. That income level is 17% noticeably above the Montana median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Yellowstone County is made up of 39 elementary schools (11,298 students), 17 middle schools (5,463), and 12 high schools (7,092).
The largest single district in Yellowstone County is Billings Elem, which alone enrolls about 11,377 students.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment held roughly steady: 23,545 students in SY 2017-18 versus 23,645 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Yellowstone County gained 5 schools, going from 62 to 67. Demographically, the White share of enrollment decreased from 79% to 75%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Yellowstone County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Yellowstone County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data