Ponderosa School

Summary:

Ponderosa School is an elementary school in Billings, Montana, serving 274 students in grades PK-5. Despite being part of the Billings Elementary District, which is ranked 169 out of 300 districts in the state, Ponderosa School consistently underperforms academically compared to the district and state averages.

In the 2022-2023 school year, only 23.94% of Ponderosa students were proficient or better in Mathematics, 16.9% in Reading, and 11.76% in Science, significantly lower than the district and state averages. This persistent low performance has resulted in Ponderosa School ranking in the bottom 20% of Montana elementary schools, with a ranking of 299 out of 332 schools in the 2022-2023 school year. This low ranking has been a trend for several years, with the school never ranking higher than 121 out of 123 schools in the 2018-2019 school year.

Ponderosa School's student population is more diverse than some nearby schools, with a higher percentage of Native American (18.98%) and Hispanic (14.96%) students. However, this diversity is not reflected in the academic performance of the school. Additionally, Ponderosa School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.2 to 14.8 students per teacher over the past three school years, but this does not seem to translate into better academic outcomes. Nearby schools, such as Highland School, Central Heights School, and McKinley School, demonstrate that schools within the same district can have vastly different academic performance and statewide rankings, highlighting the importance of understanding the unique challenges and strengths of each individual school.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4188 King Avenue East
Billings, MT 59101

(406) 281-6218

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
299^th of 332 Montana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,833

Students who attend Ponderosa School usually attend:

Middle:	Riverside Middle School
High:	Billings Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.4

Number of students: 297

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.2%

American Indian:

20.2%

Hispanic:

15.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ponderosa School ranks worse than 90.1% of elementary schools in Montana. It also ranks last among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.52. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Ponderosa School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (54.2%), American Indian (20.2%), Hispanic (15.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ponderosa School is 14.4, which is the 8^th best among 22 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Ponderosa School employs 20.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ponderosa School is $11,833, which is the 11^th highest among 22 elementary schools in the Billings Elementary School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ponderosa School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Billings Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Billings Elementary 169^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ponderosa School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	25.36	171^st	217	21.2%
2005	52.16	120^th	218	45.0%
2006	25.36	210^th	234	10.3%
2007	27.84	205^th	230	10.9%
2008	34.44	159^th	194	18.0%
2009	20.86	172^nd	190	9.5%
2010	24.14	209^th	241	13.3%
2011	20.95	210^th	247	15.0%
2012	33.57	193^rd	244	20.9%
2013	30.56	196^th	246	20.3%
2015	17.60	250^th	287	12.9%
2016	5.39	187^th	191	2.1%
2019	8.02	121^st	123	1.6%
2021	11.84	320^th	356	10.1%
2022	20.24	285^th	329	13.4%
2023	13.52	299^th	332	9.9%

See the entire list of Montana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Montana Office of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Montana Office of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Ponderosa School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	358	358
1991	327	2	3	24	22	n/a	n/a	0	378
1992	292	4	4	22	23	n/a	n/a	0	345
1993	289	3	6	25	29	n/a	n/a	0	352
1994	306	3	7	27	35	n/a	n/a	0	378
1995	247	5	7	26	26	n/a	n/a	0	311
1996	247	5	7	26	26	n/a	n/a	0	311
1997	222	4	5	24	36	n/a	n/a	0	291
1998	216	2	3	17	26	n/a	n/a	0	264
1999	191	2	5	24	25	n/a	n/a	0	247
2000	207	2	6	25	20	n/a	n/a	0	260
2001	186	3	6	22	20	n/a	n/a	0	237
2002	228	10	7	59	45	n/a	n/a	0	349
2003	228	10	7	59	45	n/a	n/a	0	349
2004	239	14	7	67	60	n/a	n/a	0	387
2005	207	14	8	79	67	n/a	n/a	0	375
2006	216	21	7	89	64	n/a	n/a	0	397
2007	225	22	7	90	68	n/a	n/a	0	412
2008	204	26	6	84	59	n/a	n/a	0	379
2009	212	37	5	80	68	n/a	n/a	0	402
2010	215	30	5	54	68	n/a	n/a	0	372
2011	216	15	0	68	56	2	20	0	377
2012	215	21	0	77	48	1	29	0	391
2013	180	17	0	77	49	1	33	0	357
2014	220	11	0	71	34	0	43	0	379
2015	171	12	0	61	39	0	35	0	318
2016	158	9	0	63	49	0	44	0	323
2017	152	13	0	71	49	0	38	0	323
2018	149	4	0	62	31	0	23	0	269
2019	165	6	2	52	51	1	25	0	302
2020	175	7	1	45	45	1	25	0	299
2021	157	4	0	46	55	2	17	0	281
2022	161	5	1	45	58	0	15	0	285
2023	155	7	1	41	52	0	18	0	274
2024	161	11	1	47	60	0	17	0	297

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ponderosa School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	358	22.5	15.9	18.7
1991	378	16.9	22.3	20.1
1992	345	14.0	24.6	21.2
1993	352	18.5	19.0	27.6
1994	378	19.4	19.5	25.7
1995	311	17.9	17.4	33.4
1996	311	17.9	17.4	33.4
1997	291	18.2	16.0	34.4
1998	264	16.9	15.6	37.9
1999	247	15.7	15.7	44.1
2000	260	17.4	14.9	49.2
2001	237	17.6	13.5	41.4
2002	349	18.4	19.0	70.5
2003	349	18.4	19.0	70.5
2004	387	20.6	18.8	70.8
2005	375	26.1	14.4	74.7
2006	397	25.5	15.6	73.6
2007	412	25.8	16.0	73.8
2008	379	28.0	13.5	72.6
2009	402	24.3	16.5	74.1
2010	372	21.9	16.9	72.8
2011	377	22.9	16.4	72.1
2012	391	24.2	16.1	75.2
2013	357	22.0	16.1	74.8
2014	379	22.2	17.0	74.4
2015	318	20.0	15.9	68.9
2016	323	22.0	14.6	75.9
2017	323	22.4	14.3	74.9
2018	269	17.4	15.4	100
2019	302	19.0	15.8	58.3
2020	299	21.1	14.1	38.1
2021	281	18.9	14.8	n/a
2022	285	21.7	13.0	n/a
2023	274	20.6	13.2	n/a
2024	297	20.5	14.4	73.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ponderosa School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	358	22.5	15.9	18.7
1991	378	16.9	22.3	20.1
1992	345	14.0	24.6	21.2
1993	352	18.5	19.0	27.6
1994	378	19.4	19.5	25.7
1995	311	17.9	17.4	33.4
1996	311	17.9	17.4	33.4
1997	291	18.2	16.0	34.4
1998	264	16.9	15.6	37.9
1999	247	15.7	15.7	44.1
2000	260	17.4	14.9	49.2
2001	237	17.6	13.5	41.4
2002	349	18.4	19.0	70.5
2003	349	18.4	19.0	70.5
2004	387	20.6	18.8	70.8
2005	375	26.1	14.4	74.7
2006	397	25.5	15.6	73.6
2007	412	25.8	16.0	73.8
2008	379	28.0	13.5	72.6
2009	402	24.3	16.5	74.1
2010	372	21.9	16.9	72.8
2011	377	22.9	16.4	72.1
2012	391	24.2	16.1	75.2
2013	357	22.0	16.1	74.8
2014	379	22.2	17.0	74.4
2015	318	20.0	15.9	68.9
2016	323	22.0	14.6	75.9
2017	323	22.4	14.3	74.9
2018	269	17.4	15.4	100
2019	302	19.0	15.8	58.3
2020	299	21.1	14.1	38.1
2021	281	18.9	14.8	n/a
2022	285	21.7	13.0	n/a
2023	274	20.6	13.2	n/a
2024	297	20.5	14.4	73.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ponderosa School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$9,360
2021	$11,942
2022	$12,688
2023	$11,833

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ponderosa School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 121^st of 123 Elementary schools	Ranks 299^th of 332 Elementary schools	8.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	302	274	9.3%
African American	6	7	16.7%
American Indian	51	52	2%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	52	41	21.2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	165	155	6.1%
Two or More Races	25	18	28%

Schools Near Ponderosa School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				Montana State Tests Mathematics (2023)	Montana State Tests Reading (2023)	Montana State Tests Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Montana State Tests Mathematics All Grades	Montana State Tests Reading All Grades	Montana State Tests Science 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	297	21	14.4	73.7%	161 (54.2%)	11 (3.7%)	47 (15.8%)	1 (0.3%)	60 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.7%)	13.5	299^th of 332 public elementary schools	9.9%		20.2	285^th of 329 public elementary schools	13.4%	14	23.9	16.9	11.8	$11,833
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	227	18	12.3	72.2%	127 (55.9%)	5 (2.2%)	44 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.4%)	14.3	296^th of 332 public elementary schools	10.8%		12.2	303^rd of 329 public elementary schools	7.9%	7	18.6	23.5	17.1	$12,768
Orchard School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Jackson Street	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6216	290	21	13.7	77.9%	130 (44.8%)	4 (1.4%)	56 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (20.0%)	1 (0.3%)	41 (14.1%)	21.6	278^th of 332 public elementary schools	16.3%		18.6	291^st of 329 public elementary schools	11.6%	13	23.4	23.4	25.6	$12,092
Washington School	Public	PK, KG-5	1044 Cook Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6221	208	18	11.3	74.5%	104 (50.0%)	9 (4.3%)	33 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (22.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.7%)	36.5	238^th of 332 public elementary schools	28.3%		26.4	272^nd of 329 public elementary schools	17.3%	34	35.3	36.9	24.5	$13,101
Broadwater School	Public	PK, KG-5	415 Broadwater	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6207	301	25	12.0	61.8%	191 (63.5%)	4 (1.3%)	44 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.3%)	33.1	249^th of 332 public elementary schools	25.0%		33.6	256^th of 329 public elementary schools	22.2%	7	26.4	30.8	34.0	$12,815
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	299	24	12.4	69.9%	167 (55.9%)	4 (1.3%)	32 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	61 (20.4%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.7%)	75.2	83^rd of 332 public elementary schools	75.0%		49.3	204^th of 329 public elementary schools	38.0%	121	48.8	51.2	51.3	$11,884
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	269	19	13.8	43.5%	187 (69.5%)	6 (2.2%)	38 (14.1%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (6.7%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (6.3%)	37.1	235^th of 332 public elementary schools	29.2%		27.5	271^st of 329 public elementary schools	17.6%	36	37.1	25.9	32.3	$12,926
Highland School	Public	PK, KG-5	729 Parkhill	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6211	271	18	15.4	31.4%	206 (76.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.9%)	2 (0.7%)	19 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.0%)	56.6	159^th of 332 public elementary schools	52.1%		68.5	122^nd of 329 public elementary schools	62.9%	37	44.4	42.9	37.0	$11,198
Central Heights School	Public	PK, KG-5	120 Lexington	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-6209	283	19	15.2	44.5%	180 (63.6%)	1 (0.4%)	46 (16.3%)	7 (2.5%)	30 (10.6%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (6.0%)	60.5	139^th of 332 public elementary schools	58.1%		72.7	103^rd of 329 public elementary schools	68.7%	36	56.2	43.2	34.1	$12,030
Elysian School	Public	PK, KG-5	6416 Elysian Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Elysian Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4101	286	21	13.7	31.1%	234 (81.8%)	2 (0.7%)	21 (7.3%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.5%)	78.8	69^th of 332 public elementary schools	79.2%		79.1	78^th of 329 public elementary schools	76.3%	9	48.8	57.9	50.0	$10,349

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 2023-24 school year, 297 students attended Ponderosa School.

What is the racial makeup of Ponderosa School?

Students at Ponderosa School are 54% White, 20% American Indian, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What district is Ponderosa School in?

Billings Elementary

Is Ponderosa School a good school?

Ponderosa School ranks in the bottom 9.9% 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.