Enrollment
377
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benson, NC
Benson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Benson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370237000582
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 64.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson Middle has class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Benson, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237000582 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson Middle
Benson Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Benson, North Carolina, enrolling 377 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Benson Middle is leaner than roughly 86% of North Carolina schools and 23% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 377 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 343 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #81.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (32%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 189 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.5% 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.
Discipline events run high: 218 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 377 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Benson Middle.
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 Middle compares
Benson Middle 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.4% | ▼ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 377 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
377
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 14% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.5%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 189 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
140
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 37.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 57.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
Hispanic or Latino 43.5%
White 32.1%
African American 19.1%
Two or More 5.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Benson Middle 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 Middle.
$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 Middle 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 | Higher 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson Middle'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 elementary 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 (~377 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Benson Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Benson Middle?
Benson Middle has 377 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson Middle is 12.2:1, which is 23% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% 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 Middle?
64.4% of students at Benson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Benson Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment, in Benson, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson Middle?
Benson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Middle rank among public schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Middle ranks #1 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 Middle a good school?
Benson Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Middle, 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.