Benton Area SD operates 3 public schools serving 621 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Pennsylvania. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 608 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Columbia County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,320 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 48.5% local, 42.4% state, and 9.1% 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 $98,717 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 66/100, ranked #159 of 659 in Pennsylvania against a state average of 49 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 352.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.1% White, 2.3% African American, 2.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Appleman El Sch accounts for 50.7% of all Benton Area SD student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Benton Area SD-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Benton Area SD school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities
Benton Area SD school enrollment ranges from 100 students (lowest) to 308 students (highest), a spread of 208 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Benton Area SD student-counselor ratio is 353:1 — 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.
Benton Area SD chronic absenteeism rate is 23.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Benton Area SD is typically wider than the Benton Area SD-aggregate figure suggests.
Benton Area SD has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 621 students.
How much does Benton Area SD spend per student?
Benton Area SD spends $22,320 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #159 in Pennsylvania.
What is the average teacher salary in Benton Area SD?
The average teacher salary in Benton Area SD is $98,717 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Benton Area SD?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Columbia County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Benton Area SD?
Benton Area SD students are 95.1% White, 2.3% African American, 2.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Benton Area SD?
Benton Area SD has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #159 out of 659 districts in Pennsylvania. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.