Enrollment
1,474
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Salisbury, MD
James M. Bennett High
Federal NCES profile for James M. Bennett High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240069001305
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James M. Bennett High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Salisbury · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 44.1%
- free-lunch eligible
James M. Bennett High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James M. Bennett High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Salisbury, MD.
School address
District: Wicomico County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240069001305 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James M. Bennett High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at James M. Bennett High
James M. Bennett High is a large high school in Salisbury, Maryland, enrolling 1,474 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.1% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,474 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 100 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #77, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (37%) and White (35%) (diversity index 71/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Salisbury's high schools, it stands alongside Wicomico High (1,304 students): James M. Bennett High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.5:1 vs 14:1).
Wicomico County Public Schools also operates Wicomico High (1,304 students) and Parkside High (1,272 students) alongside James M. Bennett 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 James M. Bennett High compares
James M. Bennett High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▼ 10% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,474 | top 6% | - | - |
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.
1,474
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 64% in Maryland - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$17,780
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 127 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 36.9%
White 35.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 36.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, James M. Bennett High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wicomico County Public Schools, which includes James M. Bennett High.
$17,780
Per student
-13%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 66.2%
Federal 14.1%
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 James M. Bennett High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicomico High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkside High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prince Street School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bennett Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Delmar Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James M. Bennett High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Salisbury
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,474 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James M. Bennett High's federal record.
- Compare James M. Bennett High against another school. Compare schools
- Wicomico County Public Schools'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 James M. Bennett High
How many students attend James M. Bennett High?
James M. Bennett High has 1,474 students enrolled. It is a high school in Salisbury, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James M. Bennett High?
The student-teacher ratio at James M. Bennett High is 15.5:1, which is 7% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James M. Bennett High?
44.1% of students at James M. Bennett High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James M. Bennett High?
The largest demographic group at James M. Bennett High is African American at 36.9% of enrollment, in Salisbury, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James M. Bennett High?
James M. Bennett High has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 James M. Bennett High rank among high schools in Salisbury?
By Resource Investment Index, James M. Bennett High ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Salisbury, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Salisbury on the city page.
Is James M. Bennett High a good school?
James M. Bennett High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. 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 Wicomico County Public Schools?
Besides James M. Bennett High, Wicomico County Public Schools also operates Wicomico High (1,304 students), Parkside High (1,272 students), and Prince Street School (976 students). See the Wicomico County Public Schools 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.