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Shepherd Middle School

Q: Is Shepherd Middle School a good school?

Shepherd Middle School ranks 128 th of 222 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

128^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 222 Montana Middle Schools

Better than 42% of Montana middle schools

Summary

Shepherd Middle School is a public middle school located in Shepherd, MT, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 180 students. The school is part of the Shepherd Elementary District, which is ranked 132 out of 387 districts in Montana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Middle School has consistently underperformed compared to the state and its local counterparts in academic assessments. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 43.26% in English Language Arts, 28.81% in Mathematics, and 32.76% in Science, all of which are below the state averages. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 43rd out of 60 middle schools in 2018-2019 to 128th out of 222 in 2024-2025, and its overall rating has remained at 2 stars out of 5, indicating below-average performance. Shepherd Middle School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with rates ranging from 37.22% to 38.5% in recent years.

When comparing Shepherd Middle School to nearby middle schools, such as Ben Steele Middle School and Elysian Middle School, both located within 20 miles of Shepherd, it becomes evident that Shepherd is underperforming academically. These nearby schools have significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, as well as higher overall school rankings and ratings. By addressing these areas and learning from the successes of nearby schools, Shepherd Middle School may be able to improve student outcomes and provide a more equitable educational experience for its students.

180

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,089

Per pupil spending ?

37.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7842 Shepherd Road
Shepherd, MT 59079

(406) 373-5873

District: Shepherd Elementary

Students who attend Shepherd Middle School usually attend:

High:

Shepherd High School

Feeder schools for Shepherd Middle School:

Elementary:

Shepherd Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.7%

American Indian:

3.9%

Hispanic:

2.2%

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Compare Shepherd Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 21st percentile in 2018 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 42nd (2025) from a 21st-percentile low (2018)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg47%

Montana avg40%

128^th of 222

Montana public middle schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 31 pts since 2015

From top 27% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana Middle 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	43.9	128 of 222	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.4	77 of 123	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.4	108 of 187	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	136 of 190	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.9	107 of 200	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.5	43 of 60	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	46 of 58	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	39.3	42 of 55	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	41.0	53 of 81	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	59.6	42 of 156	73.1%	★★★★☆
2013	42.0	122 of 159	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	59.8	71 of 156	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	65.7	49 of 161	69.6%	★★★★☆
2010	61.9	61 of 156	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	60.5	58 of 147	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	59.8	58 of 149	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.2	68 of 147	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	54.8	74 of 146	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	58.1	74 of 164	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	69.6	45 of 171	73.7%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts43%~ state avg

Science33%-5 vs state

Mathematics29%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shepherd Middle 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
Shepherd Middle School	Public	6-8	7842 Shepherd Road	Shepherd	59079	Yellowstone County	Shepherd Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5873	180	14	12.8	37.2%	165 (91.7%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.2%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (3.9%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	43.9	128^th of 222 public middle schools	42.3%		38.4	77^th of 123 public middle schools	37.4%	51	43.3	28.8	$11,089
Huntley Project 7-8	Public	7-8	1477 Ash Street	Worden	59088	Yellowstone County	Huntley Project K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 967-2540	124	7	16.7	38.7%	110 (88.7%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.5%)	53.4	106^th of 222 public middle schools	52.3%		30	96^th of 123 public middle schools	22.0%	10	37.8	54.6	$16,031
Medicine Crow Middle School	Public	6-8	900 Barrett Road	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-8600	517	31	16.5	60.7%	367 (71.0%)	3 (0.6%)	42 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (10.3%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (9.7%)	25.9	176^th of 222 public middle schools	20.7%		21	102^nd of 123 public middle schools	17.1%	74	30.2	21.5	$13,150
Lockwood Middle School	Public	6-8	1932 US Highway 87	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Lockwood K-12	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 259-0154	359	27	13.2	95.5%	259 (72.1%)	3 (0.8%)	46 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.2%)	46.4	120^th of 222 public middle schools	45.9%					(n/a)	40.2	33.0
Castle Rock Middle School	Public	6-8	1441 Governors Blvd	Billings	59105	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-5800	691	39	17.5	39.8%	545 (78.9%)	7 (1.0%)	40 (5.8%)	4 (0.6%)	35 (5.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (8.5%)	40.3	143^rd of 222 public middle schools	35.6%		44.7	67^th of 123 public middle schools	45.5%	76	38.6	32.4	$11,479
Billings Multilingual Academy	Public	6-8	415 North 30th St	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 281-5066	21	1	21.0	42.9%	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)	17 (81.0%)	1 (4.8%)	2 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.5	214^th of 222 public middle schools	3.6%					(n/a)	0.0	0.0
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	3700 Madison Avenue	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6000	436	35	12.3	68.1%	248 (56.9%)	13 (3.0%)	65 (14.9%)	2 (0.5%)	67 (15.4%)	3 (0.7%)	38 (8.7%)	12.9	201^st of 222 public middle schools	9.5%		13.3	108^th of 123 public middle schools	12.2%	93	18.2	13.5	$14,217
Lewis & Clark Middle School	Public	6-8	1315 Lewis Avenue	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-5900	741	45	16.6	60.1%	536 (72.3%)	20 (2.7%)	65 (8.8%)	2 (0.3%)	63 (8.5%)	4 (0.5%)	51 (6.9%)	42.3	134^th of 222 public middle schools	39.6%					(n/a)	36.1	35.5
Will James Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 30th Street West	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6100	634	37	17.0	45.7%	462 (72.9%)	5 (0.8%)	56 (8.8%)	11 (1.7%)	47 (7.4%)	6 (0.9%)	47 (7.4%)	40.5	142^nd of 222 public middle schools	36.0%		37.8	78^th of 123 public middle schools	36.6%	64	38.2	29.2	$12,124
Elysian Middle School	Public	6-8	6416 Elysian Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Elysian Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4101	148	9	17.4	30.4%	123 (83.1%)	3 (2.0%)	8 (5.4%)	3 (2.0%)	7 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.7%)	71.5	40^th of 222 public middle schools	82.0%		81.5	19^th of 123 public middle schools	84.6%	21	52.1	50.0	$11,043

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Shepherd Middle School?

Students at Shepherd Middle School are 92% White, 4% American Indian, 2% Hispanic.

Is Shepherd Middle School a good school?

Shepherd Middle School ranks 128^th of 222 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Shepherd Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 180 students attended Shepherd Middle School.

What district is Shepherd Middle School in?

Shepherd Elementary

What high school do graduates of Shepherd Middle School attend?

Students who attend Shepherd Middle School usually go on to attend Shepherd High School

Rate Shepherd Middle School!

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Schools in Shepherd, 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.