Enrollment
817
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Benton, LA
Benton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Benton Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220027000842
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Louisiana schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Louisiana
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton Middle School has class sizes larger than 88% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Benton, LA.
School address
District: Bossier Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220027000842 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton Middle School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton Middle School
Benton Middle School is a large middle school in Benton, Louisiana, enrolling 817 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 88% of Louisiana schools and 24% above the 16.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 28.0% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Louisiana average.
Enrollment of 817 puts it in the larger third of Louisiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,330 Louisiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 93 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Louisiana schools statewide, it ranks #92, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 409 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Bossier Parish also operates Airline High School (1,855 students) and Benton High School (1,515 students) alongside Benton 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 Benton Middle School compares
Benton Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▲ 24% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 55% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 817 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
817
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Louisiana average of 62.5%
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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
60.6%
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
$13,534
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 409 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
100
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 74.8%
African American 13.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Benton Middle School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bossier Parish, which includes Benton Middle School.
$13,534
Per student
-17%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.8%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airline High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Benton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Haughton High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkway High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Haughton Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,855
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,515
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,360
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,279
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 993
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~817 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Benton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bossier Parish'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 Middle School
How many students attend Benton Middle School?
Benton Middle School has 817 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Benton, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton Middle School is 20.9:1, which is 24% higher than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benton Middle School?
28.0% of students at Benton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Benton Middle School is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in Benton, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton Middle School?
Benton Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Benton, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benton on the city page.
Is Benton Middle School a good school?
Benton Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Louisiana 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 Bossier Parish?
Besides Benton Middle School, Bossier Parish also operates Airline High School (1,855 students), Benton High School (1,515 students), and Haughton High School (1,360 students). See the Bossier Parish 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.