BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 4 public schools serving 808 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 760 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Swift County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,775 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 28.1% local, 60.1% state, and 11.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $90,330 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 46/100, ranked #241 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 725:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 69.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.0% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% African American across the district's schools.
Northside Elementary accounts for 51.4% of all BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment varies 30× across entities
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 391 students (highest), a spread of 378 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 55.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 725:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 69.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has 4 schools, including 4 other. Total enrollment is 808 students.
How much does BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $18,775 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #241 in Minnesota.
What is the average teacher salary in BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is $90,330 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Swift County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 68.0% White, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% African American, 3.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
BENSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #241 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.