The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Medicine Crow Middle School
Medicine Crow Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade students in Billings, as part of the Billings Elem district. The school is located on Barrett Road on the city's north side, in a community that functions as the primary trade, medical, and retail hub for a vast region covering much of eastern Montana and parts of several neighboring states. Billings grew rapidly from its railroad-town origins and continues to see sustained growth, driven in part by its role as a service center for regional energy development. The city’s everyday texture is shaped by this hub role, with hotel and convention infrastructure that exceeds anything else in a multi-state area. Housing values in the zip code around the school are above the national benchmark, a pattern common in growing Western markets.
The school’s student body is predominantly white, with a notable American Indian or Alaska Native population that makes up a meaningful share of enrollment. Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races each represent smaller but present segments. Slightly more than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with substantial economic need.
On state assessments administered in the 2023-24 school year, Medicine Crow Middle School’s proficiency rates fell short of the midpoint for districts across Yellowstone County. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects, placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other school systems in the county. In math, fewer than one in five students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, roughly three in ten students met that bar. Science results, which are based on a smaller tested cohort in a single grade, showed about one in five students proficient. These figures give a parent a clear picture: academic attainment at this school is below what many area districts report, and a family moving into the attendance zone should investigate what support and intervention programs are in place.
The school offers no information in the available data about its course offerings, so a parent cannot see from this record whether Medicine Crow provides accelerated classes, electives, or any specialized programs for middle schoolers. Similarly, the data includes no information about the rate of chronic absenteeism, teacher staffing levels, or disciplinary actions. These gaps mean that a resident weighing this school will need to seek those details directly from the school or district. On program information, no data was reported on whether the school offers any magnet, career-oriented, or enrichment pathways. The school is not a charter school.
The setting is a mid-sized middle school within a large elementary district. Billings Elem is the district that operates Medicine Crow, but no recent district-level changes of lasting impact were identified in available public records, suggesting no major reorganization or boundary shifts that would affect this school's operations in the near term.
Two practical considerations stand out for a family. First, the academic proficiency picture is the central fact: numbers that fall well below the county median. A parent should plan to have a conversation with the school about how it supports students who are not yet at grade level and what the trajectory looks like for those who are. Second, the Billings housing market is active, with a supply score that suggests a seller-friendly environment and a median listing price above the national benchmark. The rental market, too, trends above the national rent-to-income ratio. A family moving into the Medicine Crow attendance zone should expect a competitive housing search.
Medicine Crow Middle School sits in a growing city with a strong regional economy, but its academic results are a clear soft spot. Parents looking for a middle school where proficiency rates are near or above county averages will want to look closely at what this school offers before enrolling.
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