Enrollment
342
Elementary
DISTRICT 261 · STATE 167
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SHEPHERD ELEM·NCES 302394000695
Shepherd Elementary
7842 Shepherd Road, Shepherd, MT 59079 · (406) 373-5516 · Yellowstone County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL342 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
15.6:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.2:1 · STATE 11.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
27%
92 students
DISTRICT 32% · 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 | 6 | 2% |
| Kindergarten | 47 | 14% |
| Grade 1 | 64 | 19% |
| Grade 2 | 58 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 45 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 55 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 67 | 20% |
This year's kindergarten class (47) is 30% smaller than its 5th grade class (67).
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 16% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Shepherd Elementary→Shepherd Middle School
Based on grade levels within Shepherd Elem. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
EDFacts (federal) 2020-21 . % Proficient (SY 20-21)English Language Arts
47.0%
MT avg 47.2%
Math
37.0%
MT avg 36.0%
What this means: On the EDFacts (federal), Montana's statewide test, about 47 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 37 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 Shepherd Elementary
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Elementary this school | 342 | 26.9% | N/A |
| Manhattan Elem Manhattan | 259 | 27.4% | N/A |
| Longfellow School Bozeman | 289 | 18.7% | N/A |
| Lakeside Elementary School Lakeside | 303 | 29.4% | N/A |
| Three Forks Elem School Three Forks | 361 | 33.2% | N/A |
| Columbus Elem School Columbus | 278 | 34.2% | 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 Shepherd Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Montana | In Yellowstone County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 37.0% | #116 of 199 | #23 of 32 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 47.0% | #100 of 201 | #13 of 32 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 342 | #69 of 421 | #12 of 39 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.6:1 | #103 of 160 | #16 of 31 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 16.5% | #142 of 160 | #31 of 31 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 26.9% | #198 of 226 | #29 of 35 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -9.5% | #72 of 107 | #7 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
342
+4 (+1%) vs 2020
-10% since 1990-91, when it was 379
Student : Teacher
15.6:1
was 15.4:1
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 | 342 | 22 | 15.6:1 | 27% (92) |
| 2023-24 | 371 | 22.9 | 16.2:1 | 36% (132) |
| 2022-23 | 366 | 23.3 | 15.7:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 338 | 22 | 15.4:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 378 | 24.5 | 15.4:1 | 29% (109) |
| 2015-16 | 433 | 28 | 15.5:1 | 36% (158) |
| 2010-11 | 428 | 30 | 14.3:1 | 41% (176) |
| 2000-01 | 464 | 28 | 16.6:1 | 33% (153) |
| 1990-91 | 379 | 16 | 23.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Shepherd Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 10% (378 to 342); teachers down 10% (24.5 to 22).
About Shepherd Elementary
Shepherd Elementary is a large elementary school in Montana, with an address in Shepherd. The school serves pre-K through 5. Enrollment is 342 students. Elementary schools in Montana have about 167 students on average; enrollment here is 105% higher.
Shepherd Elem is responsible for 2 schools, Shepherd Elementary included, with 522 students in all.
Of every 100 students at Shepherd Elementary, about 91 are White. It is also 5% Native American. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 16, compared with 70 nationally.
Staffing at Shepherd Elementary comes to 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 15.6:1. Elementary schools in Montana have an average ratio of 11.9:1. On the income side, 27% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That rate is below the 48% average among public schools in Yellowstone County.
Five-year Census Bureau estimates for Yellowstone County show that median household income comes to about $76,570, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 34% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. The county's public schools total 68, with about 23,853 students.
Measured in a straight line, Shepherd Middle School is less than a tenth of a mile from Shepherd Elementary. The five-mile area around Shepherd Elementary holds 2 other public schools.
Federal data place Shepherd Elementary in the Rural: Distant locale, which means it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
The school's size has been steady, with 338 students in 2020-21 and 342 in 2024-25.
This page is a place to ask questions and share updates about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at Shepherd Elementary. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
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 Shepherd
- Shepherd High SchoolHigh · 225 students
- Shepherd Middle SchoolMiddle · 180 students
Other Shepherd Elementary schools
3 other US public schools in 4 states are named Shepherd Elementary. Shepherd Elementary is the 4th largest of the 4.
- Shepherd ElementaryMooresville, NC · 738 students
- Shepherd Elementary SchoolSHEPHERD, MI · 544 students
- Shepherd Elementary SchoolWashington, DC · 394 students
Nearby schools
- Shepherd Middle School0.0 mi · 180
- Shepherd High School0.0 mi · 225
- Pioneer School6.8 mi · 73
- Independent School8.6 mi · 272
- Huntley Project Elem K-68.6 mi · 410
- Huntley Project 7-88.7 mi · 124
Frequently asked questions
About Shepherd ElementaryHow many students attend Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary enrolls approximately 342 students in grades PK-05.
Is Shepherd Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Shepherd Elementary is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary is approximately 15.6:1 (22 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Shepherd Elementary?
At Shepherd Elementary, the student body is approximately 91% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Two or more.
Who oversees Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary is overseen by Shepherd Elem in Yellowstone County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.