Best Public Schools in Zip Code 59079

Summary:

The 59079 zip code area in Montana is home to 3 schools: Shepherd Elementary, Shepherd High School, and Shepherd Middle School. Based on the available data, Shepherd Elementary stands out as the highest-performing school in the set, ranking 44th out of 401 Montana elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Elementary outperforms the state averages in proficiency rates for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, with 61.05%, 60.12%, and 52.94% respectively. In contrast, Shepherd High School and Shepherd Middle School lag behind the state averages in these key academic areas. Shepherd High School has proficiency rates of 44.9% in ELA, 30% in Math, and 24% in Science, while Shepherd Middle School has rates of 43.26% in ELA, 28.81% in Math, and 32.76% in Science.

The data also reveals differences in other key metrics, such as free/reduced lunch rates, spending per student, and student-teacher ratios. Shepherd Middle School has the highest percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients at 37.22%, while Shepherd Elementary and Shepherd High School have lower rates of 26.9% and 25.33%, respectively. Additionally, Shepherd High School has the highest spending per student at $10,488, while Shepherd Elementary and Shepherd Middle School both spend $8,340 per student. These differences may be contributing factors to the varying academic performance across the schools.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ACT with Writing English Language Arts (2025)	ACT with Writing Mathematics (2025)	ACT with Writing Science (2025)	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	ACT with Writing English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Science 11th Grade	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
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
Shepherd High School	Public	9-12	7842 Shepherd Road	Shepherd	59079	Yellowstone County	Shepherd High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 373-5300	225	18	12.8	25.3%	193 (85.8%)	7 (3.1%)	8 (3.6%)	3 (1.3%)	12 (5.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	50.8	98^th of 182 public high schools	46.2%		33.7	83^rd of 122 public high schools	32.0%	15	44.9	30.0	24.0			$14,485

Cities Near Zip Code 59079

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Shepherd	0.55 mi	3	75^th
Billings	6.89 mi	53	61^st
Worden	9 mi	3	92^nd
Laurel	27.14 mi	5	81^st
Broadview	27.35 mi	3	41^st

See the top MT Montana cities

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.