Enrollment
1,474
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 240069001305
James M. Bennett High — Salisbury, MD
Federal NCES profile for James M. Bennett High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 44
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Wicomico County Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
-2% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
James M. Bennett High reports 1,474 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 95.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 44.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 10% below the Maryland average and 15% below the national baseline. The school offers 7 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 369 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 44.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Wicomico County Public Schools spends $20,295 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $22,498 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 19.7% from local sources (property taxes), 66.2% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James M. Bennett High compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▼ 10% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,474 | top 94% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 41% in Maryland — lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
44.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,295
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maryland avg of $22,498
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
Enrollment 1,474 Top 94% in Maryland — larger than 6% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 95.0
Students per teacher 14.1:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 44.1% -10% vs state
NCES ID 240069001305
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.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 369:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 44.5%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 127
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wicomico County Public Schools, which includes James M. Bennett High.
$20,295
Per student
-10%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,304
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Enrollment
- 976
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 914
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
Similar high schools in Salisbury
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 14.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Salisbury, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James M. Bennett High?
James M. Bennett High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.