Enrollment
286
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benson, AZ
Benson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Benson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 040021201120
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benson Middle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 44.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Benson Middle School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Benson, AZ.
School address
District: Benson Unified School District (79226) · Arizona
NCES ID 040021201120 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.7%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benson Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benson Middle School
Benson Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Benson, Arizona, enrolling 286 students.
At 15.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arizona median, within a few percentage points of the 17:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.7% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 286 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 160 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #124, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Benson Unified School District (79226) spends $10,529 per pupil, 20% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Benson Unified School District (79226) also operates Benson Primary School (507 students) and Benson High School (402 students) alongside Benson Middle 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 Benson Middle School compares
Benson Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.7% | ▼ 7% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in Arizona - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.7%
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
$10,529
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.0 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 53.1%
Hispanic or Latino 38.8%
Two or More 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.7%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Benson Middle School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benson Unified School District (79226), which includes Benson Middle School.
$10,529
Per student
-20%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 45.7%
Federal 18.7%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benson Digital Learning Center Online | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Benson Digital Learning Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 507
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 51
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 41
- Students per teacher
- 41:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Benson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Benson Unified School District (79226)'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 School
How many students attend Benson Middle School?
Benson Middle School has 286 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benson Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 6% lower than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 1% higher 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 School?
44.7% of students at Benson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Benson Middle School is White at 53.1% of enrollment, in Benson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benson Middle School?
Benson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Benson Middle School rank among public schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Benson Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Benson, AZ. 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 School a good school?
Benson Middle School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Unified School District (79226)?
Besides Benson Middle School, Benson Unified School District (79226) also operates Benson Primary School (507 students), Benson High School (402 students), and Benson Digital Learning Center Online (51 students). See the Benson Unified School District (79226) 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.