Laurel Middle School

Q: Is Laurel Middle School a good school?

Laurel Middle School ranks 131 st of 187 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Laurel Middle School is a public middle school in Laurel, Montana, serving 573 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the Laurel Elementary School District, which is ranked 225 out of 300 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Laurel Middle School faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (88.13%) than the more diverse student populations of nearby schools like Ben Steele Middle School and Elysian Middle School. Academically, Laurel Middle School's proficiency rates in math, reading, and science are consistently lower than the state averages and the nearby schools. The school has also consistently ranked in the bottom half of Montana middle schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance.

Laurel Middle School's academic performance has been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 57 out of 60 schools in 2018-2019 to 131 out of 187 schools in 2022-2023. This trend is concerning and suggests the need for interventions to improve student outcomes. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio of 16.4 is higher than some of the nearby schools, which may also contribute to the academic challenges. While the reasons for the school's lower performance are not entirely clear, the disparity in educational opportunities and outcomes within the region highlights the need for a closer examination of resource allocation, instructional practices, and the potential impact of socioeconomic factors on student achievement at Laurel Middle School.

Detail:

Public 5-8

725 Washington Avenue
Laurel, MT 59044

(406) 628-6919

District: Laurel Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
131^st of 187 Montana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,455

Students who attend Laurel Middle School usually attend:

High:

Laurel High School

Feeder schools for Laurel Middle School:

Elementary:	Fred W Graff School
	South School
	West School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 551

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.9%

Hispanic:

6.2%

Two or more races:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Laurel Middle School ranks worse than 70.1% of middle schools in Montana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.99. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (88.9%), Hispanic (6.2%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 43.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Laurel Middle School is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Laurel Middle School employs 36.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Laurel Middle School is $11,455.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Laurel Middle School 131^st of 187 Montana public middle schools. (See Laurel Middle School in the ranking list.)

Laurel Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Laurel Elementary 225^th of 300 Montana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Laurel Middle School.

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Rank History for Laurel Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MT State Percentile
2004	50.84	101^st	171	40.9%
2005	44.30	113^th	164	31.1%
2006	59.83	58^th	146	60.3%
2007	54.64	76^th	147	48.3%
2008	56.34	75^th	149	49.7%
2009	58.03	75^th	147	49.0%
2010	55.30	87^th	156	44.2%
2011	58.33	77^th	161	52.2%
2012	60.45	69^th	156	55.8%
2013	52.98	95^th	159	40.3%
2015	25.41	119^th	156	23.7%
2016	13.73	74^th	81	8.6%
2017	11.32	54^th	55	1.8%
2018	12.54	54^th	58	6.9%
2019	9.31	57^th	60	5.0%
2021	27.90	156^th	200	22.0%
2022	30.78	140^th	190	26.3%
2023	35.99	131^st	187	29.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

I don't know where you get these rates maybe other parents don't know what they're child is doing both in there rude attitude and lack of study but it's not the school's fault look at home. My student is excelling has straight A's even with the classmates that don't do any work talk thrash 24/7 and blame other students and teachers for there failures get on board parents this is your child's Life you're dealing with. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Laurel Middle School

Compare

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	451	451
1991	462	0	4	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	474
1992	474	0	1	4	8	n/a	n/a	0	487
1993	410	2	2	6	11	n/a	n/a	0	431
1994	453	3	2	4	12	n/a	n/a	0	474
1995	442	0	0	3	6	n/a	n/a	0	451
1996	442	0	0	3	6	n/a	n/a	0	451
1997	421	0	0	7	10	n/a	n/a	0	438
1998	439	0	3	17	10	n/a	n/a	0	469
1999	424	1	3	15	7	n/a	n/a	0	450
2000	394	0	4	14	10	n/a	n/a	0	422
2001	363	2	3	11	11	n/a	n/a	0	390
2002	362	2	5	16	9	n/a	n/a	0	394
2003	362	2	5	16	9	n/a	n/a	0	394
2004	354	1	5	16	8	n/a	n/a	0	384
2005	360	2	5	18	8	n/a	n/a	0	393
2006	389	0	6	14	9	n/a	n/a	0	418
2007	399	1	7	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	423
2008	548	2	5	22	12	n/a	n/a	0	589
2009	528	4	4	25	13	n/a	n/a	0	574
2010	546	6	4	21	10	n/a	n/a	0	587
2011	535	8	2	15	9	1	0	0	570
2012	535	10	2	16	10	0	1	0	574
2013	544	8	1	24	9	1	1	0	588
2014	558	8	3	18	14	1	5	0	607
2015	572	6	2	16	14	1	9	0	620
2016	588	2	2	22	11	3	18	0	646
2017	601	4	3	25	19	3	16	0	671
2018	623	2	2	29	21	3	12	0	692
2019	626	3	2	30	16	1	15	0	693
2020	568	3	3	31	17	0	14	0	636
2021	519	2	3	33	17	0	16	0	590
2022	503	1	3	39	14	0	13	0	573
2023	505	0	2	37	11	0	18	0	573
2024	490	1	2	34	10	0	14	0	551

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 Laurel Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	451	24.0	18.7	13.7
1991	474	23.0	20.6	15.2
1992	487	25.3	19.2	17.2
1993	431	29.4	14.7	16.7
1994	474	24.0	19.8	18.1
1995	451	27.9	16.2	18.8
1996	451	27.9	16.2	18.8
1997	438	29.1	15.1	18.3
1998	469	29.3	16.0	19.2
1999	450	29.8	15.1	28
2000	422	28.5	14.8	27.7
2001	390	23.9	16.3	24.6
2002	394	26.3	15.0	31
2003	394	26.3	15.0	31
2004	384	27.3	14.1	27.9
2005	393	29.0	13.6	25.4
2006	418	29.0	14.4	23.7
2007	423	29.1	14.5	23.6
2008	589	34.5	17.1	22.6
2009	574	35.2	16.3	25.4
2010	587	37.3	15.7	30.7
2011	570	35.2	16.1	30.4
2012	574	36.5	15.6	31.7
2013	588	36.8	15.9	30.4
2014	607	36.4	16.6	32
2015	620	34.0	18.2	31.6
2016	646	35.0	18.4	31.6
2017	671	35.4	18.9	27.7
2018	692	37.4	18.4	36
2019	693	36.4	19.0	37.1
2020	636	35.4	17.9	33
2021	590	38.5	15.3	n/a
2022	573	37.5	15.2	n/a
2023	573	34.9	16.4	n/a
2024	551	36.9	14.9	43.2

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 Laurel Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1990	451	24.0	18.7	13.7
1991	474	23.0	20.6	15.2
1992	487	25.3	19.2	17.2
1993	431	29.4	14.7	16.7
1994	474	24.0	19.8	18.1
1995	451	27.9	16.2	18.8
1996	451	27.9	16.2	18.8
1997	438	29.1	15.1	18.3
1998	469	29.3	16.0	19.2
1999	450	29.8	15.1	28
2000	422	28.5	14.8	27.7
2001	390	23.9	16.3	24.6
2002	394	26.3	15.0	31
2003	394	26.3	15.0	31
2004	384	27.3	14.1	27.9
2005	393	29.0	13.6	25.4
2006	418	29.0	14.4	23.7
2007	423	29.1	14.5	23.6
2008	589	34.5	17.1	22.6
2009	574	35.2	16.3	25.4
2010	587	37.3	15.7	30.7
2011	570	35.2	16.1	30.4
2012	574	36.5	15.6	31.7
2013	588	36.8	15.9	30.4
2014	607	36.4	16.6	32
2015	620	34.0	18.2	31.6
2016	646	35.0	18.4	31.6
2017	671	35.4	18.9	27.7
2018	692	37.4	18.4	36
2019	693	36.4	19.0	37.1
2020	636	35.4	17.9	33
2021	590	38.5	15.3	n/a
2022	573	37.5	15.2	n/a
2023	573	34.9	16.4	n/a
2024	551	36.9	14.9	43.2

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 Laurel Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,624
2021	$12,403
2022	$11,979
2023	$11,455

Data source: Montana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Laurel 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 57^th of 60 Middle schools	Ranks 131^st of 187 Middle schools	24.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	693	573	17.3%
African American	3	0	100%
American Indian	16	11	31.3%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	30	37	23.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	626	505	19.3%
Two or More Races	15	18	20%

Schools Near Laurel 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
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
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
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
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
Park City 7-8	Public	7-8	10 2nd Ave SW	Park City	59063	Stillwater County	Park City Elementary	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 633-2350	47	4	12.2	36.2%	45 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	40.7	118^th of 187 public middle schools	36.9%		12.2	171^st of 190 public middle schools	10.0%	53	20.8	37.5	42.9	$14,401
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Laurel Middle School

How many students attend Laurel Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 551 students attended Laurel Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Laurel Middle School?

Students at Laurel Middle School are 89% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Is Laurel Middle School a good school?

Laurel Middle School ranks 131^st of 187 Montana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Laurel Middle School in?

Laurel Elementary

What high school do graduates of Laurel Middle School attend?

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

Rate Laurel Middle 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.