The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Science. The lowest is 34% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Beartooth School
Beartooth School is an elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Billings, the largest city in Montana. The school sits within the Billings Elem district, a system that covers the city’s elementary grades. Billings is a regional trade and distribution center, a former railroad town that has grown steadily and earned the nickname “Magic City” for its rapid expansion. The city functions as a retail, medical, and cultural hub for a large area reaching into several states, and it continues to see strong growth, partly driven by energy development to the east and north. For a parent considering Beartooth, the school’s context is a city that is economically active and growing, with a mix of residential and commercial zones.
Beartooth enrolls a student body that is diverse for the region. The largest group is white, and a substantial share of students are American Indian, with smaller but noticeable populations of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. A significant portion of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many households face economic pressures. The school is not a charter or magnet, and it operates as a regular public elementary school. No information was available about special education or English learner populations, so a parent might want to ask the school directly about those support services.
Academically, Beartooth’s state testing results show a mixed picture. Proficiency rates in math and English language arts were below the state average, while science proficiency was somewhat higher. However, when compared to other districts in Yellowstone County, Beartooth’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint. This means that while the school’s raw scores may not be high in absolute terms, it performs better than a number of its county peers. For a family looking at test scores, the key takeaway is that Beartooth is in the middle of the pack relative to nearby districts, with room for improvement but not at the bottom. Because the school only goes through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The school’s location in Billings means families have access to the city’s amenities: the Yellowstone Art Museum, ZooMontana, the Moss Mansion, and nearby state parks. The Yellowstone River runs through the city, and the sandstone formations known as “the Rims” define the landscape. The area has seen rising home values and rents, with the housing market showing some cooling in median listing prices but still elevated compared to a few years ago. The typical home in the area costs a moderate amount relative to national benchmarks, and the market has been slightly less active than in the recent past. For a family moving to Billings, the housing context is one of a growing city where affordability is tighter than it used to be but still less extreme than in many other parts of the country.
Beartooth itself is a neighborhood school in a residential part of Billings. It offers the standard elementary curriculum, but the data provided did not include any specific programs such as gifted education, language immersion, or specialized arts. A parent may want to check with the school about enrichment opportunities, especially since the district’s recent changes were not documented in available public records. The school’s size is moderate for an elementary school, large enough to offer some peer variety but small enough that students are likely to be known by staff.
Overall, Beartooth School serves a diverse, economically mixed student body in a growing regional city. Its academic performance is middling in the county context, with some subjects stronger than others. Families who value a school that reflects the broader community’s demographic mix and who are comfortable with average test scores may find it a solid fit. Those seeking higher proficiency rates or specific program offerings would want to investigate further.
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