BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 7 public schools serving 5,904 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 other, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 5,375 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Saline County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,911 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 34.2% local, 53.6% state, and 12.2% 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 $51,133 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 12/100, ranked #248 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (15 AP courses district-wide), a 501:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 68.2% White, 12.5% African American, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Benton Middle School accounts for 25.4% of all BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT-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 SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment varies 4.0× across entities
BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment ranges from 340 students (lowest) to 1,363 students (highest), a spread of 1,023 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 SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 501:1 — 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 SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 22.8% — 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 SCHOOL DISTRICT is typically wider than the BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT-aggregate figure suggests.
BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT has 7 schools, including 4 elementary, 1 high, 2 other. Total enrollment is 5,904 students.
How much does BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $10,911 per student. The district has an equity score of 12/100, ranking #248 in Arkansas.
What is the average teacher salary in BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT is $51,133 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Saline County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT?
BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 68.2% White, 12.5% African American, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT?
BENTON SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 12/100, ranking #248 out of 250 districts in Arkansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.