Enrollment
481
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Goshen, IN
Benton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Benton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180348001238
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Goshen · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 21.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Elementary School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Goshen, IN.
School address
District: Fairfield Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180348001238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton Elementary School
Benton Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Goshen, Indiana, enrolling 481 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.6% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Indiana average.
With 481 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 293 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #285, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Goshen's elementary schools, it stands alongside Goshen Intermediate School (889 students): Benton Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 15.1:1).
Fairfield Community Schools also operates Fairfield Jr-Sr High School (944 students) and New Paris Elementary School (488 students) alongside Benton 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 Benton Elementary School compares
Benton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.6% | ▼ 56% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Indiana - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,478
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
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 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.2, Benton Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield Community Schools, which includes Benton Elementary School.
$10,478
Per student
-13%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 56.0%
Federal 8.8%
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 Benton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Jr-Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Paris Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Millersburg Elementary- Middle Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 944
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Goshen
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Goshen Intermediate School
Standard public school
889 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Model Elementary School
Standard public school
474 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Waterford Elementary School
Standard public school
400 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
West Goshen Elementary School
Standard public school
387 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary School
Standard public school
344 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Chamberlain Elementary School
Standard public school
342 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~481 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Benton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield Community 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 Benton Elementary School
How many students attend Benton Elementary School?
Benton Elementary School has 481 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Goshen, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton Elementary School is 17.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benton Elementary School?
21.6% of students at Benton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Benton Elementary School is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Goshen, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton Elementary School?
Benton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Benton Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Goshen?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Elementary School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Goshen, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Goshen on the city page.
Is Benton Elementary School a good school?
Benton Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana 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 Fairfield Community Schools?
Besides Benton Elementary School, Fairfield Community Schools also operates Fairfield Jr-Sr High School (944 students), New Paris Elementary School (488 students), and Millersburg Elementary- Middle Sch (296 students). See the Fairfield Community 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.