Orchard School

Summary:

Orchard School is an elementary school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 290 students. Despite being part of the Billings Elementary School District, which is ranked 113 out of 227 districts in the state, Orchard School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Montana elementary schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Orchard School's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in Montana state tests, is significantly lower than the Billings Elementary district and the state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, Orchard School's proficiency rates were 22.66% in math, 28.91% in reading, and 31.82% in science, compared to the Billings Elementary district averages of 35.89%, 38.81%, and 36.48%, respectively. Additionally, Orchard School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 77.93% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools, such as McKinley School, which has a free and reduced lunch rate of 31.37%.

Despite Orchard School's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.7 in the 2023-2024 school year and higher spending per student of $10,376 for the 2018-2019 school year, the academic performance remains significantly lower than the nearby schools, even those within the same district. For example, McKinley School had proficiency rates of 90% in math, 60% in reading, and 40% in science in the 2023-2024 school year, which are much higher than Orchard School's performance. This suggests that the school may be facing persistent challenges in improving student outcomes, and a more comprehensive approach may be needed to address the underlying factors contributing to the school's performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

120 Jackson Street
Billings, MT 59101

(406) 281-6216

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
165^th of 212 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,818

Students who attend Orchard School usually attend:

Middle:	Riverside Middle School
High:	Billings Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 290

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.8%

American Indian:

20.0%

Hispanic:

19.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 77.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Orchard School ranks worse than 77.8% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks 14^th among 16 ranked elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.04. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Orchard School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44.8%), American Indian (20%), Hispanic (19.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 77.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Orchard School is 13.7, which is the 5^th best among 16 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Orchard School employs 21 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Orchard School is $12,818, which is the 3^rd highest among 16 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Schooldigger Rankings:

Orchard School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Billings Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Billings Elementary 113^th of 227 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Orchard School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	18.93	190^th	217	12.4%
2005	25.58	183^rd	218	16.1%
2006	49.57	139^th	234	40.6%
2007	46.61	146^th	230	36.5%
2008	34.11	160^th	194	17.5%
2009	34.16	156^th	190	17.9%
2010	12.28	227^th	241	5.8%
2011	16.52	219^th	247	11.3%
2012	9.72	233^rd	244	4.5%
2013	7.10	236^th	246	4.1%
2015	5.96	278^th	287	3.1%
2021	14.15	315^th	356	11.5%
2022	18.63	291^st	329	11.6%
2023	21.56	278^th	332	16.3%
2024	29.04	165^th	212	22.2%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Orchard School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	338	338
1991	234	13	1	34	77	n/a	n/a	0	359
1992	222	14	0	44	57	n/a	n/a	0	337
1993	214	11	0	58	82	n/a	n/a	0	365
1994	200	9	0	42	70	n/a	n/a	0	321
1995	177	10	1	45	87	n/a	n/a	0	320
1996	177	10	1	45	87	n/a	n/a	0	320
1997	153	9	1	40	91	n/a	n/a	0	294
1998	147	11	3	32	80	n/a	n/a	0	273
1999	129	9	3	36	84	n/a	n/a	0	261
2000	129	11	4	35	95	n/a	n/a	0	274
2001	115	16	5	45	70	n/a	n/a	0	251
2002	138	7	6	56	67	n/a	n/a	0	274
2003	138	7	6	56	67	n/a	n/a	0	274
2004	142	12	6	52	74	n/a	n/a	0	286
2005	135	17	5	51	69	n/a	n/a	0	277
2006	128	19	6	68	60	n/a	n/a	0	281
2007	136	17	6	58	70	n/a	n/a	0	287
2008	175	22	6	72	77	n/a	n/a	0	352
2009	166	18	5	65	71	n/a	n/a	0	325
2010	174	25	5	110	111	n/a	n/a	0	425
2011	190	18	0	125	86	2	20	0	441
2012	202	15	1	125	94	2	24	0	463
2013	204	10	0	118	100	1	34	0	467
2014	172	6	0	99	73	3	48	0	401
2015	170	5	0	85	66	2	51	0	379
2016	164	4	0	89	53	1	48	0	359
2017	181	2	0	82	65	0	45	0	375
2018	160	14	0	78	61	3	51	0	367
2019	150	14	0	61	53	2	41	0	321
2020	153	14	0	55	61	4	43	0	330
2021	126	12	0	55	52	2	34	0	281
2022	122	8	0	59	55	3	37	0	284
2023	140	8	0	54	57	2	39	0	300
2024	130	4	0	56	58	1	41	0	290

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Orchard School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	338	16.0	21.1	18
1991	359	14.4	24.9	19.5
1992	337	15.0	22.4	61.1
1993	365	19.6	18.6	71.2
1994	321	20.5	15.7	69.2
1995	320	18.7	17.1	62.8
1996	320	18.7	17.1	62.8
1997	294	18.2	16.2	75.5
1998	273	18.5	14.8	71.1
1999	261	17.4	15.0	83.9
2000	274	17.9	15.3	87.2
2001	251	17.3	14.5	80.9
2002	274	20.0	13.7	82.8
2003	274	20.0	13.7	82.8
2004	286	20.8	13.8	83.9
2005	277	19.2	14.4	85.2
2006	281	19.2	14.6	79
2007	287	21.2	13.5	81.5
2008	352	23.7	14.9	84.1
2009	325	20.9	15.6	81.2
2010	425	18.8	22.5	84.2
2011	441	23.4	18.8	83.2
2012	463	25.1	18.4	86.2
2013	467	24.5	19.0	86.3
2014	401	26.4	15.1	84.3
2015	379	25.0	15.1	100
2016	359	23.0	15.6	100
2017	375	26.4	14.1	100
2018	367	25.5	14.3	100
2019	321	22.9	13.9	67.3
2020	330	23.6	13.9	38.2
2021	281	19.2	14.5	n/a
2022	284	22.1	12.8	n/a
2023	300	23.3	12.8	n/a
2024	290	21.0	13.7	77.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Orchard School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	338	16.0	21.1	18
1991	359	14.4	24.9	19.5
1992	337	15.0	22.4	61.1
1993	365	19.6	18.6	71.2
1994	321	20.5	15.7	69.2
1995	320	18.7	17.1	62.8
1996	320	18.7	17.1	62.8
1997	294	18.2	16.2	75.5
1998	273	18.5	14.8	71.1
1999	261	17.4	15.0	83.9
2000	274	17.9	15.3	87.2
2001	251	17.3	14.5	80.9
2002	274	20.0	13.7	82.8
2003	274	20.0	13.7	82.8
2004	286	20.8	13.8	83.9
2005	277	19.2	14.4	85.2
2006	281	19.2	14.6	79
2007	287	21.2	13.5	81.5
2008	352	23.7	14.9	84.1
2009	325	20.9	15.6	81.2
2010	425	18.8	22.5	84.2
2011	441	23.4	18.8	83.2
2012	463	25.1	18.4	86.2
2013	467	24.5	19.0	86.3
2014	401	26.4	15.1	84.3
2015	379	25.0	15.1	100
2016	359	23.0	15.6	100
2017	375	26.4	14.1	100
2018	367	25.5	14.3	100
2019	321	22.9	13.9	67.3
2020	330	23.6	13.9	38.2
2021	281	19.2	14.5	n/a
2022	284	22.1	12.8	n/a
2023	300	23.3	12.8	n/a
2024	290	21.0	13.7	77.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Orchard School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,376
2021	$12,497
2022	$12,832
2023	$12,092
2024	$12,818

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Orchard School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	321	300	6.5%
African American	14	8	42.9%
American Indian	53	57	7.5%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	61	54	11.5%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	150	140	6.7%
Two or More Races	41	39	4.9%

Schools Near Orchard School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2024)	Montana State Tests Reading (2024)	Montana State Tests Science (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science All Grades	Total
Orchard School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Jackson Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6216	290	21	13.7	77.9%	130 (44.8%)	4 (1.4%)	56 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (20.0%)	1 (0.3%)	41 (14.1%)	29	165^th of 212 public elementary schools	22.2%		21.6	278^th of 332 public elementary schools	16.3%	113	22.7	28.9	31.8	$12,818
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Broadwater	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6207	301	25	12.0	61.8%	191 (63.5%)	4 (1.3%)	44 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.3%)								(n/a)
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	297	21	14.4	73.7%	161 (54.2%)	11 (3.7%)	47 (15.8%)	1 (0.3%)	60 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.7%)	15.2	187^th of 212 public elementary schools	11.8%		13.5	299^th of 332 public elementary schools	9.9%	112	21.6	19.1	16.1	$11,811
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	227	18	12.3	72.2%	127 (55.9%)	5 (2.2%)	44 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.4%)	20.8	180^th of 212 public elementary schools	15.1%		14.3	296^th of 332 public elementary schools	10.8%	116	28.0	19.2	19.5	$12,671
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	299	24	12.4	69.9%	167 (55.9%)	4 (1.3%)	32 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	61 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.7%)	80	44^th of 212 public elementary schools	79.2%		75.2	83^rd of 332 public elementary schools	75.0%	39	90.0	60.0	40.0	$12,572
Washington School	Public	PK, KG-5	1044 Cook Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6221	208	18	11.3	74.5%	104 (50.0%)	9 (4.3%)	33 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (22.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.7%)								(n/a)			25.0	$13,674
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-5	729 Parkhill	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6211	271	18	15.4	31.4%	206 (76.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.9%)	2 (0.7%)	19 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.0%)	61.4	95^th of 212 public elementary schools	55.2%		56.6	159^th of 332 public elementary schools	52.1%	64	43.4	46.0	40.8	$12,257
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	269	19	13.8	43.5%	187 (69.5%)	6 (2.2%)	38 (14.1%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.7%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (6.3%)								(n/a)			27.9	$13,278
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	263	18	14.9	33.1%	194 (73.8%)	3 (1.1%)	27 (10.3%)	2 (0.8%)	14 (5.3%)	2 (0.8%)	21 (8.0%)	52.9	117^th of 212 public elementary schools	44.8%		50.4	191^st of 332 public elementary schools	42.5%	74	41.9	38.8	37.8	$12,371
Central Heights School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Lexington	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6209	283	19	15.2	44.5%	180 (63.6%)	1 (0.4%)	46 (16.3%)	7 (2.5%)	30 (10.6%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (6.0%)	53.5	115^th of 212 public elementary schools	45.8%		60.5	139^th of 332 public elementary schools	58.1%	24	45.5	36.4	37.7	$12,270

Frequently Asked Questions about Orchard School

Is Orchard School a good school?

Orchard School ranks in the bottom 22.2% of Montana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Orchard School?

Students at Orchard School are 45% White, 20% American Indian, 19% Hispanic, 14% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Orchard School attend?

Students who attend Orchard School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Riverside Middle School
High : Billings Senior High School

What district is Orchard School in?

Billings Elementary

How many students attend Orchard School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 290 students attended Orchard School.

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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.