The bulletin board for America's public schools. Parents, teachers, students, and staff. One community per school.
Schools›Montana›Billings
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BILLINGS ELEM·NCES 300387000079

Ponderosa School

4188 King Avenue East, Billings, MT 59101 · (406) 281-6218 · Yellowstone County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL277 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

Enrollment
277
Elementary
DISTRICT 345 · STATE 167
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
23 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
74%
204 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

GradeStudentsShare
Kindergarten4516%
Grade 14717%
Grade 25118%
Grade 34215%
Grade 43814%
Grade 55419%

This year's kindergarten class (45) is 17% smaller than its 5th grade class (54).

Student demographics
65%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 40% · US 70%
White
14552%
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 76% · US 43%
Hispanic
5219%
DISTRICT 11% · STATE 7% · US 30%
Black
93%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 1% · US 15%
Asian
10%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 1% · US 6%
Two+
187%
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 5% · US 5%
Native American
5219%
DISTRICT 9% · STATE 10% · US 1%
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
Male
14853%
Female
12947%

Discussions

HotNewTop
+ POST
QUIET COMMUNITY
Be the first to start a discussion at Ponderosa School.
START A DISCUSSION

Test scores

EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)
English Language Arts
22.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
7.5%
MT avg 36.0%

What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 22 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 8 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 Ponderosa School

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Ponderosa School this school27773.6%N/A
Newman School
Billings
24974.7%N/A
Miles Avenue School
Billings
32567.1%N/A
Broadwater School
Billings
40065.8%N/A
Orchard School
Billings
34076.5%N/A
Big Sky Elementary
Billings
37359.2%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 Ponderosa School ranks

Among elementary schools
MeasureThis schoolIn MontanaIn Yellowstone County
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
7.5%#197 of 199#32 of 32
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
22.0%#188 of 201#30 of 32
Enrollment
ranked largest first
277#105 of 421#22 of 39
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
11.9:1#12 of 160#3 of 31
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
65.0%#8 of 160#4 of 31
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
73.6%#73 of 226#10 of 35
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked fastest growth first
+3.0%#38 of 48#13 of 14
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 2024-25
Enrollment
277
-4 (-1%) vs 2020
-27% since 1990-91, when it was 378
Student : Teacher
11.9:1
was 15.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2527723.311.9:174% (204)
2023-2429720.514.5:174% (219)
2022-2327420.713.3:1N/A
2020-212811815.6:1N/A
2017-1826917.415.4:1100% (269)
2015-163232115.4:176% (245)
2010-113772217.1:172% (272)
2000-012371713.9:141% (98)
1990-913781623.6:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Ponderosa School.

Since 2017-18: students up 3% (269 to 277); teachers up 34% (17.4 to 23.3).

About Ponderosa School

Ponderosa School is the name of a large elementary school in Billings, Montana. The school teaches pre-K through 5 and enrolls 277 students. It has 66% more students than the average for elementary schools in Montana (about 167).

Ponderosa School is part of a district of 29 schools: Billings Elem, with 11,377 students.

The share of White students at Ponderosa School is 52%, a majority. The remaining students are 19% Hispanic, 19% Native American, 7% multiracial, and 3% Black. Census figures show Yellowstone County is about 86% White. A diversity index of 65% means there is a 65% chance two randomly chosen students at Ponderosa School are from different groups.

The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.9:1. The school has 23.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average ratio among elementary schools in Montana is similar, at 11.9:1. In all, 74% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That rate is above the 48% average among public schools in Yellowstone County.

For Yellowstone County, Census Bureau data show 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. The county has 68 public schools and about 23,853 students.

Newman School is the nearest public school to Ponderosa School, about 0.8 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.

For locale, NCES codes Ponderosa School as City: Mid-size.

Enrollment in 2024-25 was 277, close to the 281 recorded in 2020-21. Federal data show the ratio falling from 15.6:1 to 11.9:1.

You can use this page to share news and ask questions about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.

Yellowstone County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
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

School name
Ponderosa School
District
Billings Elem
Address
4188 King Avenue East, Billings, MT 59101
Phone
(406) 281-6218
County
Yellowstone County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
PK–05
Total enrollment
277
Teachers (FTE)
23
Student–teacher ratio
11.9:1
Free and reduced lunch
204 (74%)
Locale
12-City: Mid-size
NCES ID
300387000079
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Billings Elem
Other schools in Billings
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Ponderosa School
How many students attend Ponderosa School?
Ponderosa School enrolls approximately 277 students in grades PK-05.
Is Ponderosa School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Ponderosa School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Ponderosa School have?
Ponderosa School employs 23 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.9:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Ponderosa School?
At Ponderosa School, the student body is approximately 52% White, 19% Hispanic, 3% Black, 0% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Is Ponderosa School public or private?
Ponderosa School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Billings Elem.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
＋ Post