Enrollment
312
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Benton, KS
Circle Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Circle Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 201230001738
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Circle Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Kansas schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 26.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 312
- students enrolled
Circle Middle School has class sizes larger than 96% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Circle Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Circle Middle School
Circle Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Benton, Kansas, enrolling 312 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Kansas schools and 41% 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 26.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 312 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 253 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #231, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Circle spends $10,992 per pupil, 29% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 64 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 312 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Circle also operates Circle High (604 students) and Circle Greenwich Elementary (337 students) alongside Circle 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 Circle Middle School compares
Circle Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 41% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.4% | ▼ 38% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 312 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
312
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 96% in Kansas - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$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 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.5 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 77.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
African American 7.1%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.3, Circle Middle School is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Circle, which includes Circle Middle School.
$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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Circle Greenwich Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Circle Benton Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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 Middle School'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
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- 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 middle 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 (~312 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Circle Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Circle Middle School 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 Middle School
How many students attend Circle Middle School?
Circle Middle School has 312 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Benton, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Circle Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Circle Middle School is 19.5:1, which is 41% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Circle Middle School?
26.4% of students at Circle Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Circle Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Circle Middle School is White at 77.6% of enrollment, in Benton, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Circle Middle School?
Circle Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Middle School a good school?
Circle Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Middle School, Circle also operates Circle High (604 students), Circle Greenwich Elementary (337 students), and Circle Benton Elementary (286 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.