Ben Steele Middle School

Q: Is Ben Steele Middle School a good school?

Ben Steele Middle School ranks 52 nd of 187 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ben Steele Middle School is a public middle school located in Billings, Montana, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 747 students and is part of the Billings Elementary School District.

Ben Steele Middle School consistently outperforms the Billings Elementary District and the state of Montana in academic proficiency across all subjects, with proficiency rates of 45.78% in Mathematics, 48.98% in Reading, and 47.06% in Science, compared to the district's 36.42%, 39.27%, and 35.28%, respectively, and the state's 36.59%, 46.03%, and 37.03%. The school has also maintained a strong academic performance over the past few years, ranking 52 out of 187 middle schools in Montana in the 2022-2023 school year, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and placing it in the top 28% of middle schools in the state. While the student population is predominantly White (84.34%), Ben Steele Middle School has a more diverse student body compared to some nearby schools, with higher percentages of Hispanic, Native American, and students of two or more races.

When comparing Ben Steele Middle School to nearby schools within the Billings Elementary District, it stands out as the highest-performing school in terms of academic proficiency and statewide ranking. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, Ben Steele's Mathematics proficiency rate of 45.78% was significantly higher than the other nearby schools, such as Medicine Crow Middle School (15.22%), Castle Rock Middle School (38.34%), Riverside Middle School (15.5%), and Lewis & Clark Middle School (24.28%). The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio and the district's average spending per student may be contributing factors to its academic success, along with its diverse student population and the district's focus on providing a well-rounded education.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5640 Grand Avenue
Billings, MT 59106

(406) 601-1600

District: Billings Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
52^nd of 187 Montana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,075

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 738

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.6%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.2%

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Compare Ben Steele Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ben Steele Middle School ranks better than 72.2% of middle schools in Montana. It also ranks first among 6 ranked middle schools in the Billings Elementary School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 69.44. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (83.6%), two or more races (5.7%), Hispanic (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Billings Elementary School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ben Steele Middle School is 17.5. 4 middle schools in the Billings Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ben Steele Middle School employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ben Steele Middle School is $11,075. 4 middle schools in the Billings Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ben Steele Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Ben Steele Middle School 52^nd of 187 Montana public middle schools. (See Ben Steele Middle School in the ranking list.)

Billings Elementary:

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

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Rank History for Ben Steele Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MT State Percentile
2019	49.29	32^nd	60	46.7%
2021	74.56	41^st	200	79.5%
2022	58.56	78^th	190	58.9%
2023	69.44	52^nd	187	72.2%

See the entire list of Montana Middle 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 Ben Steele Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2018	632	8	9	38	18	1	39	745
2019	659	5	7	38	19	3	55	786
2020	665	6	3	40	27	1	59	801
2021	660	7	6	43	26	1	62	805
2022	654	9	8	38	31	0	55	795
2023	630	5	10	33	23	1	45	747
2024	617	3	11	34	29	2	42	738

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 Ben Steele Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	745	39.3	18.9	15.4
2019	786	39.5	19.8	15.1
2020	801	42.5	18.8	22.6
2021	805	40.3	19.9	n/a
2022	795	46.5	17.0	n/a
2023	747	43.6	17.1	n/a
2024	738	42.0	17.5	18.2

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 Ben Steele Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2018	745	39.3	18.9	15.4
2019	786	39.5	19.8	15.1
2020	801	42.5	18.8	22.6
2021	805	40.3	19.9	n/a
2022	795	46.5	17.0	n/a
2023	747	43.6	17.1	n/a
2024	738	42.0	17.5	18.2

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 Ben Steele Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$11,664
2022	$11,694
2023	$11,075

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ben Steele Middle 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 32^nd of 60 Middle schools	Ranks 52^nd of 187 Middle schools	25.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	786	747	5%
African American	5	5
American Indian	19	23	21.1%
Asian	7	10	42.9%
Hispanic	38	33	13.2%
Pacific Islander	3	1	66.7%
White	659	630	4.4%
Two or More Races	55	45	18.2%

Schools Near Ben Steele Middle 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
Ben Steele Middle School	Public	6-8	5640 Grand Avenue	Billings	59106	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 601-1600	738	42	17.5	18.2%	617 (83.6%)	3 (0.4%)	34 (4.6%)	11 (1.5%)	29 (3.9%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (5.7%)	69.4	52^nd of 187 public middle schools	72.2%		58.6	78^th of 190 public middle schools	58.9%	26	45.8	49.0	47.1	$11,075
Elder Grove 7-8	Public	6-8	1532 South 64 Street W	Billings	59106	Yellowstone County	Elder Grove Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 656-2893	226	13	17.3	19.5%	201 (88.9%)	2 (0.9%)	10 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.9%)	8 (3.5%)	33.2	137^th of 187 public middle schools	26.7%		55	90^th of 190 public middle schools	52.6%	47	26.6	39.3	26.4	$10,006
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	601	35	16.9	36.8%	433 (72.0%)	8 (1.3%)	56 (9.3%)	8 (1.3%)	57 (9.5%)	3 (0.5%)	36 (6.0%)	35.7	133^rd of 187 public middle schools	28.9%		45.8	117^th of 190 public middle schools	38.4%	16	26.7	40.3	28.9	$11,397
Yellowstone Academy 7-8	Public	7-8	1750 Ray of Hope Lane	Billings	59106	Yellowstone County	Yellowstone Academy Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-2198	18	8	2.2	50.0%	13 (72.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.6%)	1 (5.6%)	1 (5.6%)	4.7	177^th of 187 public middle schools	5.3%		13.3	169^th of 190 public middle schools	11.1%	8	5.0	15.0		$126,387
Elysian Middle School	Public	6-8	6416 Elysian Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Elysian Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4101	130	10	13.6	26.9%	115 (88.5%)	2 (1.5%)	6 (4.6%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	72.8	43^rd of 187 public middle schools	77.0%		86.5	20^th of 190 public middle schools	89.5%	23	47.0	56.0	44.0	$10,791
Canyon Creek 6-8	Public	6-8	3139 Duck Creek Road	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Canyon Creek Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 656-4471	47	5	8.7	6.4%	37 (78.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.5%)	65.1	60^th of 187 public middle schools	67.9%		60.8	74^th of 190 public middle schools	61.1%	14	29.6	52.3	57.1	$17,487
Lewis & Clark Middle School	Public	6-8	1315 Lewis Avenue	Billings	59102	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 281-5900	727	45	16.0	48.1%	526 (72.4%)	13 (1.8%)	56 (7.7%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (9.4%)	4 (0.6%)	59 (8.1%)	42	115^th of 187 public middle schools	38.5%		41	127^th of 190 public middle schools	33.2%	12	24.3	38.7	40.6	$11,750
Riverside Middle School	Public	6-8	3700 Madison Avenue	Billings	59101	Yellowstone County	Billings Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 281-6000	460	37	12.3	68.7%	256 (55.7%)	10 (2.2%)	71 (15.4%)	4 (0.9%)	79 (17.2%)	3 (0.7%)	37 (8.0%)	9.9	168^th of 187 public middle schools	10.2%		16.2	162^nd of 190 public middle schools	14.7%	6	15.5	21.0	10.7	$13,736
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	742	40	18.4	31.4%	596 (80.3%)	6 (0.8%)	51 (6.9%)	2 (0.3%)	32 (4.3%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (7.1%)	55.7	81^st of 187 public middle schools	56.7%		48.4	113^th of 190 public middle schools	40.5%	32	38.3	43.9	40.3	$10,786
Laurel Middle School	Public	5-8	725 Washington Avenue	Laurel	59044	Yellowstone County	Laurel Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 628-6919	551	37	14.9	43.2%	490 (88.9%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.5%)	36	131^st of 187 public middle schools	29.9%		30.8	140^th of 190 public middle schools	26.3%	9	25.6	35.4	34.8	$11,455

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Steele Middle School

How many students attend Ben Steele Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 738 students attended Ben Steele Middle School.

What district is Ben Steele Middle School in?

Billings Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Ben Steele Middle School?

Students at Ben Steele Middle School are 84% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 1% Asian.

Is Ben Steele Middle School a good school?

Ben Steele Middle School ranks 52^nd of 187 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.