Enrollment
272
Elementary
STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·INDEPENDENT ELEM·NCES 301482000455
Independent School
2907 Roundup Road, Billings, MT 59105 · (406) 259-8109 · Yellowstone County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL272 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
20 FTE teachers
STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
31%
85 students
STATE 58%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 5 | 2% |
| Kindergarten | 23 | 8% |
| Grade 1 | 36 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 36 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 41 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 40 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 50 | 18% |
| Grade 6 | 41 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (23) is 44% smaller than its 6th grade class (41).
Student demographics
34%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 40% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
42.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
42.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 42 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Montana schools, those numbers are about 47 and 36.
Source: EDFacts (federal). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Independent School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent School this school | 272 | 31.3% | N/A |
| Florence-Carlton El Schl Florence | 301 | 30.9% | N/A |
| Cayuse Prairie School Kalispell | 254 | 32.3% | N/A |
| Lone Rock School Stevensville | 203 | 37.4% | N/A |
| Lolo Elementary Lolo | 293 | 28.0% | N/A |
| Poly Drive School Billings | 283 | 33.9% | N/A |
Matched among Montana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Independent School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Yellowstone County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #86 of 199 | #17 of 32 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #129 of 201 | #20 of 32 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 272 | #110 of 421 | #24 of 39 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.8:1 | #57 of 160 | #7 of 31 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 34.1% | #71 of 160 | #24 of 31 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 31.3% | #185 of 226 | #27 of 35 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -7.5% | #79 of 107 | #9 of 13 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
272
-17 (-6%) vs 2020
+65% since 1990-91, when it was 165
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 15.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 272 | 19.7 | 13.8:1 | 31% (85) |
| 2023-24 | 299 | 18.4 | 16.3:1 | 28% (84) |
| 2022-23 | 297 | 18.9 | 15.8:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 289 | 19 | 15.2:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 294 | 18.1 | 16.2:1 | 15% (45) |
| 2015-16 | 316 | 18 | 17.6:1 | 15% (46) |
| 2010-11 | 298 | 17 | 17.5:1 | 17% (52) |
| 2000-01 | 238 | 16 | 14.9:1 | 14% (33) |
| 1990-91 | 165 | 8 | 20.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independent School.
Since 2017-18: students down 7% (294 to 272); teachers up 9% (18.1 to 19.7).
About Independent School
Independent School is an elementary school in Billings, Montana, and it is part of Independent Elem. Enrollment totals 272 students across pre-K through 6. The school is 63% bigger than the average for elementary schools in Montana.
Independent Elem operates Independent School.
Independent School is 81% White by enrollment. The next largest groups are 7% Hispanic, 5% Native American, 4% multiracial, and 3% Pacific Islander. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 34%.
Teacher count: 19.7 full-time equivalents. Student-to-teacher ratio: 13.8:1. The gap from the 11.9:1 average for elementary schools in Montana is 1.9 students per teacher. Eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, often used to gauge student poverty, is 31%. Compared with the 48% average for public schools in Yellowstone County, the school's rate is lower.
In Yellowstone County, home to about 168,957 people, median household income comes to about $76,570, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 34%, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. There are 68 public schools in the county, enrolling about 23,853, Independent School among them.
A public school about 1.2 miles away, Medicine Crow Middle School, is the closest to Independent School. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools.
Its location is classified as Suburb: Mid-size by the National Center for Education Statistics.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, enrollment fell from 289 to 272, a 6% decline. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 15.2:1 in 2020-21 to 13.8:1 in 2024-25.
Independent School has a community page on allk12 for topics such as pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. You can also rate the school on this page.
Yellowstone County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
168,957
Census ACS
Median income
$76,570
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
68
23,853 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Billings
- Billings West High SchoolHigh · 2,115 students
- Billings Sr High SchoolHigh · 1,629 students
- Skyview High SchoolHigh · 1,542 students
- Lewis & Clark Middle SchoolMiddle · 741 students
- Ben Steele Middle SchoolMiddle · 740 students
- Castle Rock Middle SchoolMiddle · 691 students
Nearby schools
- Medicine Crow Middle School1.2 mi · 517
- Bitterroot School1.4 mi · 264
- Beartooth School1.5 mi · 373
- Sandstone School2.4 mi · 393
- Pioneer School2.4 mi · 73
- Bench School2.5 mi · 332
Frequently asked questions
About Independent SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Independent School?
Independent School enrolls approximately 272 students in grades PK-06.
Is Independent School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Independent School is an elementary school covering grades PK-06.
How many teachers does Independent School have?
Independent School employs 20 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.8:1.
How diverse is Independent School?
Independent School reports a student body of 81% White, 7% Hispanic, 0% Black, 4% Two or more.
Is Independent School public or private?
Independent School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Independent Elem.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.