Hillcrest School

Hillcrest School is a big elementary school in Butte, Montana, one of the schools within Butte Elem. The school serves 412 students in grades pre-K through 6. That puts it 147% larger than the typical public school in Montana, which averages around 167 students.

Within Butte Elem, which oversees 7 schools and 2,929 students, Hillcrest School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Hillcrest School records that nearly all students (90%) are White. Other groups include 5% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. Compared to Silver Bow County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 19.1:1. The state averages around 11.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 29% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Silver Bow County runs at roughly 91%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

In the area at large, census data for Silver Bow County shows median household income runs about $61,754, roughly 28% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Silver Bow County's 12 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,364 students), Hillcrest School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Whittier School, around 0.6 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around Hillcrest School.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 4%: 395 students in 2018 compared to 412 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 94% to 90% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 20.5:1 in 2018 to 19.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.