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Shepherd Elementary

Q: Is Shepherd Elementary a good school?

Shepherd Elementary ranks 44 th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

44^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 401 Montana Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Montana elementary schools

Summary

Shepherd Elementary is a public elementary school serving 342 students in grades PK-5 in Shepherd, MT. The school is part of the Shepherd Elementary District, which is ranked 132 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Elementary has consistently performed above the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, with 61.05% in ELA, 60.12% in Math, and 52.94% in Science in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the state averages of 43.09%, 36.77%, and 38.16%, respectively. The school has also improved its statewide ranking, moving from the middle to the top 25% of Montana elementary schools, ranking 44th out of 401 schools in the 2024-2025 school year.

Compared to nearby schools, Shepherd Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 26.9% in the 2024-2025 school year, while the nearby schools range from 25.73% to 96.26%. The school also has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.5, lower than most of the surrounding schools. While Shepherd Elementary outperforms the nearby schools in academic proficiency, some other schools in the area, such as Eagle Cliffs Elementary, also demonstrate strong academic performance.

342

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,821

Per pupil spending ?

26.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7842 Shepherd Road
Shepherd, MT 59079

(406) 373-5516

District: Shepherd Elementary

Students who attend Shepherd Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Shepherd Middle School
High:	Shepherd High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.2%

American Indian:

5.0%

Hispanic:

1.8%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2013 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (59% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Montana elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 44 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school59%

District avg47%

Montana avg40%

44^th of 401

Montana public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 47 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

132^nd of 387Shepherd 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	82.1	44 of 401	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	56.1	105 of 212	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.4	101 of 332	69.6%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	107 of 329	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	166 of 356	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.5	81 of 123	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.3	77 of 116	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.5	50 of 109	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	44.6	111 of 191	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	54.3	136 of 246	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.2	161 of 244	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.0	175 of 247	29.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	58.6	90 of 190	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.9	108 of 194	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	63.4	84 of 230	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.0	65 of 234	72.2%	★★★★☆
2005	72.6	53 of 218	75.7%	★★★★☆
2004	59.8	95 of 217	56.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts61%+18 vs state

Mathematics60%+23 vs state

Science53%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shepherd Elementary

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
Shepherd Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7842 Shepherd Road	Shepherd	59079	Yellowstone County	Shepherd Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5516	342	22	15.5	26.9%	312 (91.2%)	4 (1.2%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	82.1	44^th of 401 public elementary schools	89.0%		56.1	105^th of 212 public elementary schools	50.5%	61	61.1	60.1	$8,821
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
Huntley Project Elementary K-6	Public	PK, KG-6	1477 Ash Street	Worden	59088	Yellowstone County	Huntley Project K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 967-2540	410	29	14.2	50.2%	345 (84.1%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.4%)	43.9	237^th of 401 public elementary schools	40.9%		33	153^rd of 212 public elementary schools	27.8%	84	32.0	41.7	$13,645
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Elementary

What schools do graduates of Shepherd Elementary attend?

Students who attend Shepherd Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shepherd Middle School
High : Shepherd High School

How many students attend Shepherd Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 342 students attended Shepherd Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Shepherd Elementary?

Students at Shepherd Elementary are 91% White, 5% American Indian, 2% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Is Shepherd Elementary a good school?

Shepherd Elementary ranks 44^th of 401 Montana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Shepherd Elementary in?

Shepherd 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.