Enrollment
13
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benson, MN
Benson Area Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Benson Area Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270447002232
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson Area Learning Center earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson Area Learning Center has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Area Learning Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Benson, MN.
School address
District: Benson Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270447002232 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson Area Learning Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson Area Learning Center
Benson Area Learning Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Benson, Minnesota, enrolling 13 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Minnesota schools, with 13 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 48 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #28.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Benson Public School District also operates Northside Elementary (391 students) and Benson Secondary (334 students) alongside Benson Area Learning Center.
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 Benson Area Learning Center compares
Benson Area Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▲ 31% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 13 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
13
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 37% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,866
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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
White 46.2%
Hispanic or Latino 30.8%
African American 7.7%
Asian 7.7%
Two or More 7.7%
Largest group: White at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Benson Area Learning Center is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benson Public School District, which includes Benson Area Learning Center.
$13,866
Per student
-9%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 60.1%
Federal 11.8%
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 Benson Area Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heartland Girls Ranch | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson Area Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 391
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~13 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson Area Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Benson Area Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Benson Public School District'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 Benson Area Learning Center
How many students attend Benson Area Learning Center?
Benson Area Learning Center has 13 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Benson, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson Area Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson Area Learning Center is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benson Area Learning Center?
56.0% of students at Benson Area Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson Area Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Benson Area Learning Center is White at 46.2% of enrollment, in Benson, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson Area Learning Center?
Benson Area Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Benson Area Learning Center rank among schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Area Learning Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Benson, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Benson on the city page.
Is Benson Area Learning Center a good school?
Benson Area Learning Center earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota 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 Benson Public School District?
Besides Benson Area Learning Center, Benson Public School District also operates Northside Elementary (391 students), Benson Secondary (334 students), and Heartland Girls Ranch (22 students). See the Benson Public School District 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.