Enrollment
312
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Bennett Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Bennett Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993000607
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bennett Elem School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #305 of 394
- schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 312
- students enrolled
Bennett Elem School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bennett Elem School ranks #305 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993000607 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bennett Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bennett Elem School
Bennett Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 312 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 92% of Illinois schools and 31% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 312 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil, 24% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago's public schools, it stands alongside Lane Technical High School (4,604 students): Bennett Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.4:1 vs 17.8:1).
City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students) and Taft High School (4,487 students) alongside Bennett Elem School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bennett Elem School compares
Bennett Elem School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.4:1 | ▲ 31% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 312 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
312
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 92% in Illinois - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,050
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 92.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 92.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.3, Bennett Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Bennett Elem School.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bennett Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bennett Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Chicago
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lane Technical High School
Standard public school
4,604 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Taft High School
Standard public school
4,487 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Kenwood Academy High School
Standard public school
2,268 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Young Magnet High School
Standard public school
2,223 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Disney Elem Magnet School
Standard public school
1,384 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Morgan Park High School
Standard public school
1,349 students 19:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~312 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bennett Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Bennett Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- City of Chicago Sd 299's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bennett Elem School
How many students attend Bennett Elem School?
Bennett Elem School has 312 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bennett Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bennett Elem School is 18.4:1, which is 31% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bennett Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Bennett Elem School is African American at 92.9% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bennett Elem School?
Bennett Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bennett Elem School rank among schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Bennett Elem School ranks #305 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chicago on the city page.
Is Bennett Elem School a good school?
Bennett Elem School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Bennett Elem School, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.