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Ponderosa School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

364^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Ponderosa School is an elementary school in Billings, Montana, serving grades PK-5 with 277 students. While part of the Billings Elementary School District, which is ranked 243 out of 387 districts in the state, Ponderosa School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in academic metrics.

In the 2024-2025 school year, only 17.32% of Ponderosa students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.97% for the Billings district and 43.09% for the state. Similarly, in math, only 12.12% of Ponderosa students were proficient or better, compared to 33.7% for the district and 36.77% for the state. Ponderosa School also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 73.65% in the 2024-2025 school year, significantly higher than nearby schools like Highland School (27.48%) and Burlington School (67.08%).

Despite these challenges, Ponderosa School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.8 to 14.4 over the past few years, lower than most nearby schools. Additionally, the school's spending per student was $9,360 in the 2018-2019 school year, lower than the nearby schools, which ranged from $9,023 to $10,827 per student. By addressing the underlying factors contributing to the school's underperformance, such as targeting interventions for low-income students and ensuring adequate funding, Ponderosa School could potentially improve its academic outcomes and provide a better educational experience for its students.

277

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,811

Per pupil spending ?

73.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4188 King Avenue East
Billings, MT 59101

(406) 281-6218

District: Billings Elementary

Students who attend Ponderosa School usually attend:

Middle:	Riverside Middle School
High:	Billings Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.3%

Hispanic:

18.8%

American Indian:

18.8%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Ponderosa School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 21st percentile in 2012 → 9th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (14% vs 40% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2012

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school14%

District avg36%

Montana avg40%

364^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st 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	12.7	364 of 401	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	187 of 212	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.5	299 of 332	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.2	285 of 329	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	320 of 356	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.0	121 of 123	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.4	187 of 191	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	17.6	250 of 287	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.6	196 of 246	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.6	193 of 244	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	20.9	210 of 247	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	24.1	209 of 241	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	20.9	172 of 190	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	34.4	159 of 194	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	27.8	205 of 230	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	25.4	210 of 234	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	52.2	120 of 218	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	25.4	171 of 217	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts17%-26 vs state

Mathematics12%-25 vs state

Science11%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ponderosa 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Central Heights School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Lexington	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6209	285	19	15.4	58.2%	179 (62.8%)	1 (0.4%)	55 (19.3%)	1 (0.4%)	30 (10.5%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.3%)	35	276^th of 401 public elementary schools	31.2%		53.5	115^th of 212 public elementary schools	45.8%	161	35.4	21.5	$12,270
Elysian School	Public	PK, KG-5	6416 Elysian Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Elysian Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4101	302	19	16.3	27.5%	241 (79.8%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (7.0%)	6 (2.0%)	18 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	58.6	162^nd of 401 public elementary schools	59.6%		75.6	58^th of 212 public elementary schools	72.6%	104	50.7	42.6	$11,721
Burlington School	Public	PK, KG-5	2135 Lewis Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6208	257	19	13.8	54.5%	182 (70.8%)	2 (0.8%)	26 (10.1%)	5 (1.9%)	18 (7.0%)	3 (1.2%)	21 (8.2%)	51.9	201^st of 401 public elementary schools	49.9%		54.2	112^th of 212 public elementary schools	47.2%	89	41.7	39.7	$12,182

Frequently Asked Questions about Ponderosa School

What schools do graduates of Ponderosa School attend?

Students who attend Ponderosa School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Riverside Middle School
High : Billings Senior High School

How many students attend Ponderosa School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 277 students attended Ponderosa School.

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa School?

Students at Ponderosa School are 52% White, 19% Hispanic, 19% American Indian, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Ponderosa School in?

Billings Elementary

Is Ponderosa School a good school?

Ponderosa School ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Montana elementary schools.

Rate Ponderosa 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.