Enrollment
971
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benton, AR
Benton Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Benton Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050296000065
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton Junior High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 29.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton Junior High School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Junior High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Benton, AR.
School address
District: Benton School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050296000065 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.5%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton Junior High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton Junior High School
Benton Junior High School is a large combined-grade school in Benton, Arkansas, enrolling 971 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.5% free-meal eligibility runs 50% below the Arkansas average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 971 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 108 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #74.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 971 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Benton School District spends $8,851 per pupil, 28% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 13 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students) and Benton High School (1,298 students) alongside Benton Junior High 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 Junior High School compares
Benton Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 15% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.5% | ▼ 50% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 971 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
971
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 68% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$8,851
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
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 971 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 96 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 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
White 73.3%
African American 10.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, Benton Junior High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton School District, which includes Benton Junior High School.
$8,851
Per student
-28%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 53.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ringgold Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Perrin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Caldwell Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,363
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~971 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Benton Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Benton School District'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 Junior High School
How many students attend Benton Junior High School?
Benton Junior High School has 971 students enrolled. It is a public school in Benton, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton Junior High School is 15.7:1, which is 15% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benton Junior High School?
29.5% of students at Benton Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Benton Junior High School is White at 73.3% of enrollment, in Benton, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton Junior High School?
Benton Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Benton Junior High School rank among schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Junior High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Benton, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Benton on the city page.
Is Benton Junior High School a good school?
Benton Junior High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas. 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 Benton School District?
Besides Benton Junior High School, Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students), Benton High School (1,298 students), and Ringgold Elementary School (511 students). See the Benton School District 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.