Enrollment
1,339
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Manassas, VA
Louise a. Benton Middle
Federal NCES profile for Louise a. Benton Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510313002543
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Louise a. Benton Middle earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Manassas · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Louise a. Benton Middle has class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Louise a. Benton Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Manassas, VA.
School address
District: Prince William County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510313002543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
84.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Louise a. Benton Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Louise a. Benton Middle
Louise a. Benton Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Manassas, Virginia, enrolling 1,339 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 92% of state schools at 1,339 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 159 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 268 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Manassas's middle schools, it stands alongside Parkside Middle (1,352 students): Louise a. Benton Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 13.8:1).
Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students) and Woodbridge High (2,898 students) alongside Louise a. Benton Middle.
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 Louise a. Benton Middle compares
Louise a. Benton Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 69% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,339 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,339
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Virginia - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,913
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 268 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 44.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
African American 14.2%
Asian 10.9%
Two or More 8.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Louise a. Benton Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince William County Public Schools, which includes Louise a. Benton Middle.
$13,913
Per student
-5%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.2%
State 44.1%
Federal 8.6%
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 Louise a. Benton Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles J. Colgan Sr. High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbridge High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Osbourn Park High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gar-Field High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Louise a. Benton Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,956
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,898
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,661
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,648
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,524
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar middle schools in Manassas
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Parkside Middle
Standard public school
1,352 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Herbert J. Saunders Middle
Standard public school
1,198 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Grace E. Metz Middle
Standard public school
1,111 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Unity Braxton Middle
Standard public school
1,055 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,339 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Louise a. Benton Middle's federal record.
- Compare Louise a. Benton Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Prince William 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 Louise a. Benton Middle
How many students attend Louise a. Benton Middle?
Louise a. Benton Middle has 1,339 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Manassas, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Louise a. Benton Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Louise a. Benton Middle is 15.9:1, which is 14% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Louise a. Benton Middle?
18.1% of students at Louise a. Benton Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Louise a. Benton Middle?
The largest demographic group at Louise a. Benton Middle is White at 44.1% of enrollment, in Manassas, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Louise a. Benton Middle?
Louise a. Benton Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Louise a. Benton Middle rank among middle schools in Manassas?
By Resource Investment Index, Louise a. Benton Middle ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Manassas, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Manassas on the city page.
Is Louise a. Benton Middle a good school?
Louise a. Benton Middle earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia 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 Prince William County Public Schools?
Besides Louise a. Benton Middle, Prince William County Public Schools also operates Charles J. Colgan Sr. High (2,956 students), Woodbridge High (2,898 students), and Osbourn Park High (2,661 students). See the Prince William 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.