Enrollment
719
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benson, NC
Benson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Benson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370237001009
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 68.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Benson, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237001009 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson Elementary
Benson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Benson, North Carolina, enrolling 719 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.3% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 719 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 315 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #231, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 719 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Benson's public schools, it stands alongside Meadow School (646 students): Benson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 14.4:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Benson Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Benson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.3% | ▲ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 719 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
719
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$10,788
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 719 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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 39.1%
Hispanic or Latino 36.0%
African American 17.0%
Two or More 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 39.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Benson Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Benson Elementary.
$10,788
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 17.1%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smithfield-Selma High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,563
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Benson
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~719 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Benson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston County Public Schools'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 Elementary
How many students attend Benson Elementary?
Benson Elementary has 719 students enrolled. It is a public school in Benson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson Elementary is 17.1:1, which is 8% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benson Elementary?
68.3% of students at Benson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Benson Elementary is White at 39.1% of enrollment, in Benson, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson Elementary?
Benson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Benson Elementary rank among public schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Benson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benson on the city page.
Is Benson Elementary a good school?
Benson Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina 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 Johnston County Public Schools?
Besides Benson Elementary, Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students), Clayton High (1,929 students), and Cleveland High (1,889 students). See the Johnston County Public Schools 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.