Enrollment
659
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gallatin, TN
Benny C. Bills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Benny C. Bills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 470402001944
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benny C. Bills Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Gallatin · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for Tennessee
- 659
- students enrolled
Benny C. Bills Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benny C. Bills Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Gallatin, TN.
School address
District: Sumner County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470402001944 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benny C. Bills Elementary School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benny C. Bills Elementary School
Benny C. Bills Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gallatin, Tennessee, enrolling 659 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 659 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gallatin's public schools, it stands alongside Station Camp Elementary (974 students): Benny C. Bills Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 19.5:1).
Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students) and Beech Sr High School (1,477 students) alongside Benny C. Bills Elementary 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 Benny C. Bills Elementary School compares
Benny C. Bills Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 659 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
659
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 28% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$10,286
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 439 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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
White 42.9%
African American 30.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.0%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 42.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.5, Benny C. Bills Elementary School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sumner County, which includes Benny C. Bills Elementary School.
$10,286
Per student
-5%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 45.2%
Federal 12.8%
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 Benny C. Bills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin Senior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beech Sr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hendersonville High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Portland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Station Camp High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benny C. Bills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,644
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,410
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Gallatin
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Station Camp Elementary
Standard public school
974 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Vena Stuart Elementary
Standard public school
710 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Union Elementary School
Standard public school
620 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Howard Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Guild Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
R T Fisher Alternative
Alternative education program
127 students 7.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~659 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benny C. Bills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Benny C. Bills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sumner County'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 Benny C. Bills Elementary School
How many students attend Benny C. Bills Elementary School?
Benny C. Bills Elementary School has 659 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gallatin, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benny C. Bills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benny C. Bills Elementary School is 13.2:1, which is 14% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benny C. Bills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Benny C. Bills Elementary School is White at 42.9% of enrollment, in Gallatin, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benny C. Bills Elementary School?
Benny C. Bills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Benny C. Bills Elementary School rank among schools in Gallatin?
By Resource Investment Index, Benny C. Bills Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 schools in Gallatin, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gallatin on the city page.
Is Benny C. Bills Elementary School a good school?
Benny C. Bills Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee 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 Sumner County?
Besides Benny C. Bills Elementary School, Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students), Beech Sr High School (1,477 students), and Hendersonville High School (1,410 students). See the Sumner County 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.