Enrollment
340
Elementary
DISTRICT 345 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BILLINGS ELEM·NCES 300387000077
Orchard School
120 Jackson Street, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 281-6216 · Yellowstone County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL340 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
15.2:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
76%
260 students
DISTRICT 52% · 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 | 28 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 62 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 44 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 52 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 58 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 57 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 39 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (62) is 59% larger than its 5th grade class (39).
Student demographics
71%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 49% · 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
17.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
17.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 17 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 17 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 Orchard School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard School this school | 340 | 76.5% | N/A |
| Newman School Billings | 249 | 74.7% | N/A |
| Ponderosa School Billings | 277 | 73.6% | N/A |
| Broadwater School Billings | 400 | 65.8% | N/A |
| Bryant School Helena | 288 | 83.0% | N/A |
| Miles Avenue School Billings | 325 | 67.1% | 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 Orchard School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Yellowstone County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 17.0% | #183 of 199 | #30 of 32 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 17.0% | #192 of 201 | #32 of 32 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 340 | #70 of 421 | #13 of 39 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.2:1 | #92 of 160 | #14 of 31 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 70.7% | #2 of 160 | #1 of 31 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 76.5% | #66 of 226 | #7 of 35 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -7.4% | #81 of 107 | #10 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
340
+59 (+21%) vs 2020
-5% since 1990-91, when it was 359
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
was 14.8:1
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 | 340 | 22.4 | 15.2:1 | 76% (260) |
| 2023-24 | 290 | 21.1 | 13.8:1 | 78% (226) |
| 2022-23 | 300 | 23.3 | 12.9:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 281 | 19 | 14.8:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 367 | 25.6 | 14.3:1 | 100% (367) |
| 2015-16 | 359 | 22 | 16.3:1 | 100% (359) |
| 2010-11 | 441 | 23 | 19.2:1 | 83% (367) |
| 2000-01 | 251 | 17 | 14.8:1 | 81% (203) |
| 1990-91 | 359 | 14 | 25.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Orchard School.
Since 2017-18: students down 7% (367 to 340); teachers down 12% (25.6 to 22.4).
About Orchard School
Orchard School is a large elementary school for students in Billings, Montana. Total enrollment is 340 students, and the grades served are pre-K through 5. That is 104% above the average of about 167 students for elementary schools in Montana.
Billings Elem has 29 schools; together they serve 11,377 students.
The student body at Orchard School has no majority group. White students lead at 44%. Other groups make up 22% Hispanic, 20% Native American, 12% multiracial, and 2% Black. Yellowstone County as a whole is about 86% White, so the school's share is lower. A diversity index of 71% means there is a 71% chance two randomly chosen students at Orchard School are from different groups.
Orchard School reports a ratio of 15.2 students per teacher, from 22.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. The gap from the 11.9:1 average for elementary schools in Montana is 3.2 students per teacher. Student poverty is often measured by lunch eligibility; at Orchard School, 76% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The 48% average for public schools in Yellowstone County is 28 points lower.
The school's county is Yellowstone County. According to Census Bureau estimates, median household income comes to about $76,570, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Yellowstone County's 68 public schools enroll about 23,853 students and include Orchard School.
Riverside Middle School sits about 0.3 miles from Orchard School. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles.
Its location is classified as City: Mid-size by the National Center for Education Statistics.
A 21% rise took enrollment from 281 in 2020-21 to 340 in 2024-25.
On allk12, people connected to Orchard School can post about special education services, counseling, and support programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.
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 Elem
- Lewis & Clark Middle SchoolMiddle · 741 students
- Ben Steele Middle SchoolMiddle · 740 students
- Castle Rock Middle SchoolMiddle · 691 students
- Meadowlark SchoolElementary · 691 students
- Will James Middle SchoolMiddle · 634 students
- Medicine Crow Middle SchoolMiddle · 517 students
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
Other Orchard schools
4 other US public schools in 4 states are named Orchard. Orchard School is the 5th largest of the 5.
- Orchard SchoolOREM, UT · 625 students
- Orchard SchoolNORTH SALT LAKE, UT · 581 students
- Orchard SchoolCleveland, OH · 492 students
- Orchard SchoolSouth Burlington, VT · 402 students
Nearby schools
- Riverside Middle School0.3 mi · 436
- Broadwater School0.8 mi · 400
- Ponderosa School0.9 mi · 277
- Newman School1.1 mi · 249
- Billings Early College School1.2 mi · 60
- Billings Multilingual Academy1.2 mi · 20
Frequently asked questions
About Orchard SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Orchard School?
Orchard School enrolls approximately 340 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Orchard School serve?
Orchard School serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orchard School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Orchard School is approximately 15.2:1 (22 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Orchard School?
Student demographics at Orchard School are roughly 44% White, 22% Hispanic, 2% Black, 0% Asian, 12% Two or more.
Who oversees Orchard School?
Orchard School is overseen by Billings Elem in Yellowstone County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.