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Bitterroot School

Q: Is Bitterroot School a good school?

Bitterroot School ranks 267 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

267^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 33% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Bitterroot School is an elementary school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 264 students. Despite being part of the Billings Elementary School District, which is ranked 243 out of 387 districts in the state, Bitterroot School has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom half of Montana elementary schools for the past several years with a 1-star or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bitterroot School's academic performance lags behind both the district and the state, with lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, the school has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, a proxy for socioeconomic status, at 57.2% compared to 25.73% at the higher-performing Eagle Cliffs Elementary and 31.94% at Alkali Creek School. Bitterroot School also has a higher student-teacher ratio of 16.5, compared to 11.6 at the higher-performing McKinley School and 17.6 at Eagle Cliffs Elementary.

Interestingly, Bitterroot School is located within a few miles of several higher-performing elementary schools, suggesting that there may be opportunities for the school to learn from and collaborate with these institutions. However, Bitterroot School's performance has steadily declined over the past several years, indicating that the school may be falling further behind its peers. Addressing the potential socioeconomic factors impacting the school's performance, as well as implementing targeted interventions and support, could be crucial in improving educational outcomes for its students.

264

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,334

Per pupil spending ?

57.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1801 Bench Blvd
Billings, MT 59105

(406) 281-6205

District: Billings Elementary

Students who attend Bitterroot School usually attend:

Middle:	Castle Rock Middle School
High:	Skyview High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.1%

Hispanic:

13.3%

Two or more races:

11.7%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Bitterroot School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 15th percentile in 2017 → 33rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 33rd (2025) from a 15th-percentile low (2017)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (31% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg36%

Montana avg40%

267^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Billings Elementary

243^rd of 387Billings Elementary among Montana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	267 of 401	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.2	140 of 212	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	234 of 332	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.4	247 of 329	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.7	224 of 356	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.4	84 of 123	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.8	96 of 116	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.4	93 of 109	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	43.4	113 of 191	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	47.5	160 of 287	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.8	168 of 246	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.6	144 of 244	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.3	168 of 247	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.8	148 of 241	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	65.1	64 of 190	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	46.7	128 of 194	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	49.9	134 of 230	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	65.6	75 of 234	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	45.0	140 of 218	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	46.5	131 of 217	39.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science39%~ state avg

English Language Arts38%-6 vs state

Mathematics23%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bitterroot School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAST English Language Arts (2025)	MAST Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAST English Language Arts All Grades	MAST Mathematics All Grades	Total
Bitterroot School	Public	PK, KG-5	1801 Bench Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6205	264	16	16.5	57.2%	185 (70.1%)	1 (0.4%)	35 (13.3%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.8%)	1 (0.4%)	31 (11.7%)	36.7	267^th of 401 public elementary schools	33.4%		40.2	140^th of 212 public elementary schools	34.0%	127	37.5	22.8	$12,334
Beartooth School	Public	PK, KG-5	1345 Elaine Street	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6202	373	22	17.0	59.2%	256 (68.6%)	2 (0.5%)	40 (10.7%)	1 (0.3%)	49 (13.1%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.4%)	32.1	291^st of 401 public elementary schools	27.4%		49.9	125^th of 212 public elementary schools	41.0%	166	32.4	28.5	$12,091
Bench School	Public	PK, KG-5	505 Milton Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6203	332	22	14.9	70.5%	188 (56.6%)	3 (0.9%)	37 (11.1%)	1 (0.3%)	66 (19.9%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (10.8%)	24.3	327^th of 401 public elementary schools	18.5%					(n/a)	29.9	18.7	$12,697
Independent School	Public	PK, KG-6	2907 Roundup Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Independent Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 259-8109	272	20	13.8	31.3%	219 (80.5%)	1 (0.4%)	20 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.8%)	7 (2.6%)	12 (4.4%)	48.8	214^th of 401 public elementary schools	46.6%					(n/a)	39.5	39.1	$9,691
Sandstone School	Public	PK, KG-5	1440 Nutter Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6220	393	24	16.5	55.0%	276 (70.2%)	6 (1.5%)	47 (12.0%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (9.2%)	3 (0.8%)	24 (6.1%)	36.9	266^th of 401 public elementary schools	33.7%		61	96^th of 212 public elementary schools	54.7%	170	36.1	29.1	$11,897
Alkali Creek School	Public	PK, KG-5	681 Alkali Creek Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6200	310	18	17.6	31.9%	234 (75.5%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (10.6%)	5 (1.6%)	13 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.4%)	60.8	151^st of 401 public elementary schools	62.3%		61.6	94^th of 212 public elementary schools	55.7%	57	49.1	41.4	$11,705
Eagle Cliffs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1201 Kootenai	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6210	443	25	17.6	25.7%	340 (76.7%)	4 (0.9%)	45 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.9%)	69.1	106^th of 401 public elementary schools	73.6%		78	50^th of 212 public elementary schools	76.4%	56	53.4	54.8	$11,626
Lockwood Intermediate	Public	3-5	1932 US Highway 87 E.	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Lockwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 248-3239	321	26	12.2	96.3%	238 (74.1%)	1 (0.3%)	48 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.5%)	35.8	271^st of 401 public elementary schools	32.4%					(n/a)	33.2	28.5
Lockwood Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	1932 US Highway 87 E.	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Lockwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 252-2776	348	28	12.4	96.0%	255 (73.3%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.3%)								(n/a)
Pioneer School	Public	PK, KG-8	1937 Dover Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Pioneer Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5357	73	7	10.2	4.1%	56 (76.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	30.5	300^th of 401 public elementary schools	25.2%					(n/a)	30.6	22.2	$11,389

Frequently Asked Questions about Bitterroot School

How many students attend Bitterroot School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 264 students attended Bitterroot School.

Is Bitterroot School a good school?

Bitterroot School ranks 267^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Bitterroot School attend?

Students who attend Bitterroot School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Castle Rock Middle School
High : Skyview High School

What is the racial makeup of Bitterroot School?

Students at Bitterroot School are 70% White, 13% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 4% American Indian.

What district is Bitterroot School in?

Billings Elementary

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.