Enrollment
286
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benton, KS
Circle Benton Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Circle Benton Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201230000802
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Circle Benton Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools.
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 24.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 286
- students enrolled
Circle Benton Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.8%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Circle Benton Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Circle Benton Elementary
Circle Benton Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Benton, Kansas, enrolling 286 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Kansas schools and 22% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 286 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 239 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #201, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Circle spends $10,992 per pupil, 29% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Circle also operates Circle High (604 students) and Circle Greenwich Elementary (337 students) alongside Circle Benton Elementary.
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 Circle Benton Elementary compares
Circle Benton Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.8% | ▼ 42% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 86% in Kansas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,992
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
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 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 85.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
African American 3.5%
Two or More 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.9, Circle Benton Elementary is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Circle, which includes Circle Benton Elementary.
$10,992
Per student
-29%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.0%
State 50.9%
Federal 6.0%
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 Circle Benton Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Circle Greenwich Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Circle Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Circle Towanda Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Circle Oil Hill Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Circle Benton Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 312
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 278
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Circle Benton Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Circle Benton Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Circle'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 Circle Benton Elementary
How many students attend Circle Benton Elementary?
Circle Benton Elementary has 286 students enrolled. It is a public school in Benton, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Circle Benton Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Circle Benton Elementary is 16.8:1, which is 22% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Circle Benton Elementary?
24.8% of students at Circle Benton Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Circle Benton Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Circle Benton Elementary is White at 85.0% of enrollment, in Benton, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Circle Benton Elementary?
Circle Benton Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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).
Is Circle Benton Elementary a good school?
Circle Benton Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas 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 Circle?
Besides Circle Benton Elementary, Circle also operates Circle High (604 students), Circle Greenwich Elementary (337 students), and Circle Middle School (312 students). See the Circle 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.