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McKinley School

Q: Is McKinley School a good school?

McKinley School ranks 168 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

168^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

McKinley School is an elementary school in Billings, Montana, serving 339 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Billings Elementary School District. Despite facing socioeconomic challenges, with 64-70% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, McKinley School has consistently outperformed the district and state in academic proficiency, with 45% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 44% in Mathematics.

McKinley School's performance has steadily improved, climbing from a ranking of 116th out of 123 Montana elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 44th out of 212 in 2023-2024, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. This strong academic achievement is particularly notable given the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.6 to 13 students per teacher, and its lower per-student spending compared to some nearby schools like Miles Avenue School and Newman School.

However, McKinley School's performance has also shown some fluctuations, with the school earning a 2-star rating in 2021-2022 and 2020-2021 before rebounding to a 4-star rating in the most recent years. This suggests that the school may face ongoing challenges in maintaining its strong academic results, which could be an area for further investigation and improvement by the school and district.

339

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,572

Per pupil spending ?

64%

Free/discounted lunch ?

820 North 31st Street
Billings, MT 59101

(406) 281-6212

District: Billings Elementary

Students who attend McKinley School usually attend:

Middle:	Riverside Middle School
High:	Billings Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.8%

American Indian:

19.2%

Two or more races:

12.7%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare McKinley School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 14th percentile in 2012 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 44 percentile points since 2012

✓Above the Montana median (58th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg36%

Montana avg40%

168^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 48 pts since 2015

From bottom 10% (2015) to top 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^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	57.7	168 of 401	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.0	44 of 212	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	75.2	83 of 332	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	49.3	204 of 329	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.1	186 of 356	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.6	116 of 123	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.0	113 of 116	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	14.7	258 of 287	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	4.9	237 of 246	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	16.6	210 of 244	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.8	212 of 247	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.3	204 of 241	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.5	163 of 190	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	26.1	169 of 194	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	32.2	195 of 230	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	44.1	155 of 234	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.3	162 of 218	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	14.5	198 of 217	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts45%~ state avg

Mathematics44%+7 vs state

Science38%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near McKinley 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
McKinley School	Public	PK, KG-5	820 North 31st Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6212	339	29	11.6	64.0%	179 (52.8%)	5 (1.5%)	41 (12.1%)	5 (1.5%)	65 (19.2%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (12.7%)	57.7	168^th of 401 public elementary schools	58.1%		80	44^th of 212 public elementary schools	79.2%	124	45.2	43.8	$12,572
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Broadwater	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6207	400	25	16.1	65.8%	239 (59.8%)	9 (2.3%)	66 (16.5%)	2 (0.5%)	51 (12.8%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (8.0%)	28.5	312^th of 401 public elementary schools	22.2%					(n/a)	30.7	22.5
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-5	729 Parkhill	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6211	249	16	15.1	48.2%	178 (71.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.2%)	2 (0.8%)	20 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.4%)	43.7	238^th of 401 public elementary schools	40.6%		61.4	95^th of 212 public elementary schools	55.2%	143	41.2	31.3	$12,257
Orchard School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Jackson Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6216	340	22	15.1	76.5%	148 (43.5%)	7 (2.1%)	76 (22.4%)	1 (0.3%)	67 (19.7%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (11.8%)	15.2	358^th of 401 public elementary schools	10.7%		29	165^th of 212 public elementary schools	22.2%	193	19.7	11.6	$12,818
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
Miles Avenue School	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 Miles Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6214	325	21	15.1	67.1%	202 (62.2%)	8 (2.5%)	47 (14.5%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (13.2%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.1%)	39.6	253^rd of 401 public elementary schools	36.9%					(n/a)	39.0	28.1	$13,278
Newman School	Public	PK, KG-5	605 South Billings Blvd	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6215	249	20	12.2	74.7%	136 (54.6%)	6 (2.4%)	43 (17.3%)	1 (0.4%)	45 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.2%)	25.8	325^th of 401 public elementary schools	19.0%		20.8	180^th of 212 public elementary schools	15.1%	145	26.5	22.8	$12,671
Ponderosa School	Public	PK, KG-5	4188 King Avenue East	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6218	277	23	11.8	73.6%	145 (52.3%)	9 (3.2%)	52 (18.8%)	1 (0.4%)	52 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.5%)	12.7	364^th of 401 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.2	187^th of 212 public elementary schools	11.8%	177	17.3	12.1	$11,811
Rose Park School	Public	PK, KG-5	1812 19th Street West	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6219	277	17	15.9	49.1%	189 (68.2%)	9 (3.2%)	35 (12.6%)	3 (1.1%)	19 (6.9%)	2 (0.7%)	20 (7.2%)	55.3	181^st of 401 public elementary schools	54.9%		52.9	117^th of 212 public elementary schools	44.8%	64	45.2	40.2	$12,371
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

Frequently Asked Questions about McKinley School

What district is McKinley School in?

Billings Elementary

What schools do graduates of McKinley School attend?

Students who attend McKinley School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Riverside Middle School
High : Billings Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of McKinley School?

Students at McKinley School are 53% White, 19% American Indian, 13% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

How many students attend McKinley School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 339 students attended McKinley School.

Is McKinley School a good school?

McKinley School ranks 168^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate McKinley School!

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Schools in Billings, MT

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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.