An equity score of 30/100 ranks Benson Unified School District (79226) #255 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,829 per pupil, Benson Unified School District (79226) ranks #377 of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,376
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$10,829
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Benson Unified School District (79226) operates 5 public schools serving 1,376 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 2 high, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Cochise County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,829 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.6% local, 45.7% state, and 18.7% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 30/100, ranked #255 of 437 in Arizona against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 402:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 40.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 62.2% White, 30.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Benson Middle School, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
Its largest campus is Benson Primary School, enrolling 507 students (39% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Benson Digital Learning Center, at 41 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Benson Primary School accounts for 36.8% of all Benson Unified School District (79226) student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Benson Unified School District (79226)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Benson Unified School District (79226) school enrollment varies 12× across entities
Benson Unified School District (79226) school enrollment ranges from 41 students (lowest) to 507 students (highest), a spread of 466 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Benson Unified School District (79226) student-counselor ratio is 402:1 — 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 Unified School District (79226) chronic absenteeism rate is 40.3% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Benson Unified School District (79226)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Arizona
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How many schools are in Benson Unified School District (79226)?
Benson Unified School District (79226) has 5 schools, including 2 combined, 2 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,376 students.
How much does Benson Unified School District (79226) spend per student?
Benson Unified School District (79226) spends $10,829 per student. The district has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #255 in Arizona.
What is the demographic composition of Benson Unified School District (79226)?
Benson Unified School District (79226) students are 62.2% White, 30.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Benson Unified School District (79226)?
Benson Unified School District (79226) has an equity score of 30/100, ranking #255 out of 437 districts in Arizona.