Enrollment
682
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · St Joseph, MO
Benton High
Federal NCES profile for Benton High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292706001644
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in St Joseph · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 39.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton High has class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in St Joseph, MO.
School address
District: St. Joseph · Missouri
NCES ID 292706001644 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton High
Benton High is a large high school in St Joseph, Missouri, enrolling 682 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.3% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 682 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 311 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #293, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 242 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 682 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
St. Joseph also operates Central High (1,733 students) and Lafayette High (644 students) alongside Benton High.
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 High compares
Benton High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 21% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.3% | ▼ 15% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 682 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
682
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 84% in Missouri - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.6%
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
$11,308
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
111
in-school suspensions + 131 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.5 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 72.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 9.4%
African American 2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Benton High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Joseph, which includes Benton High.
$11,308
Per student
-13%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.8%
State 30.4%
Federal 18.8%
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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carden Park Elem | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Grove Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bode Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,733
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~682 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton High's federal record.
- Compare Benton High against another school. Compare schools
- St. Joseph'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 High
How many students attend Benton High?
Benton High has 682 students enrolled. It is a high school in St Joseph, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton High?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton High is 15.5:1, which is 21% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benton High?
39.3% of students at Benton High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton High?
The largest demographic group at Benton High is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in St Joseph, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton High?
Benton High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Benton High rank among high schools in St Joseph?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in St Joseph, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in St Joseph on the city page.
Is Benton High a good school?
Benton High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Missouri 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 St. Joseph?
Besides Benton High, St. Joseph also operates Central High (1,733 students), Lafayette High (644 students), and Carden Park Elem (638 students). See the St. Joseph 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.