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Pioneer School

Q: Is Pioneer School a good school?

Pioneer School ranks 300 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

300^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Pioneer School is a small elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Billings, MT, with a student population of just 73 students. However, the school's academic performance has been a cause for concern, as it consistently underperforms the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

According to the key insights, Pioneer School's proficiency rates in the 2024-2025 school year were only 30.56% in ELA and 22.22% in Math, compared to the state averages of 43.09% and 36.77%, respectively. Additionally, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined from being ranked 3rd out of 194 Montana elementary schools in 2007-2008 to being ranked 300th out of 401 schools in 2024-2025, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. This is in stark contrast to the nearby Shepherd Elementary, which has significantly higher proficiency rates and a 4-star rating.

The analysis also reveals that Pioneer School has very low rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, suggesting that the school's challenges may not be primarily driven by socioeconomic factors. The poor performance of Pioneer School within the Pioneer Elementary District raises questions about the district's ability to effectively support and improve its schools, as the district's low ranking and 1-star rating indicate that there may be systemic issues that need to be addressed.

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,389

Per pupil spending ?

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1937 Dover Road
Billings, MT 59105

(406) 373-5357

District: Pioneer Elementary

Students who attend Pioneer School usually attend:

High:

Skyview High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.7%

American Indian:

16.4%

Hispanic:

5.5%

See top rated Montana elementary schools

Compare Pioneer School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2004 → 25th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Montana average (28% vs 40% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2004

!Mathematics scores 15 pts below the Montana average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school28%

District avg28%

Montana avg40%

300^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 35 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

305^th of 387Pioneer 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	30.5	300 of 401	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.4	246 of 332	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.3	227 of 329	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.2	174 of 356	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.8	115 of 287	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	95.0	3 of 194	98.5%	★★★★★
2004	59.0	96 of 217	55.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

Science40%~ state avg

English Language Arts31%-13 vs state

Mathematics22%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pioneer 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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Pioneer School

What schools do graduates of Pioneer School attend?

Students who attend Pioneer School usually go on to attend:

High : Skyview High School

Is Pioneer School a good school?

Pioneer School ranks 300^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Pioneer School in?

Pioneer Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Pioneer School?

Students at Pioneer School are 77% White, 16% American Indian, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Pioneer School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 73 students attended Pioneer 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.