Enrollment
713
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Suffolk, VA
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mack Benn Jr. Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 510371001895
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median.
- #7 of 11
- schools in Suffolk · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 65.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mack Benn Jr. Elementary ranks #7 of 11 schools in Suffolk, VA.
School address
District: Suffolk City Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510371001895 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.5%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mack Benn Jr. Elementary compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Suffolk, Virginia, enrolling 713 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.5% lands close to the Virginia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 713 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 232 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #198, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and White (15%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 713 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Suffolk's public schools, it stands alongside Florence Bowser Elementary (926 students): Mack Benn Jr. Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 19.3:1).
Suffolk City Public Schools also operates King's Fork High (1,686 students) and Nansemond River High (1,683 students) alongside Mack Benn Jr. 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 Mack Benn Jr. Elementary compares
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.5% | ▲ 14% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 713 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
713
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 63% in Virginia - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,163
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 713 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.2 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
African American 67.3%
White 14.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, Mack Benn Jr. Elementary is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Suffolk City Public Schools, which includes Mack Benn Jr. Elementary.
$13,163
Per student
-10%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.0%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.5%
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 Mack Benn Jr. Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Fork High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nansemond River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| King's Fork Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Florence Bowser Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mack Benn Jr. Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,686
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,683
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 926
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Suffolk
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Florence Bowser Elementary
Standard public school
926 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Northern Shores Elementary
Standard public school
798 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Hillpoint Elementary
Standard public school
780 students 17:1 students per teacher
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
764 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Elephant's Fork Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Southwestern Elementary
Standard public school
579 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~713 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mack Benn Jr. Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mack Benn Jr. Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Suffolk City 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 Mack Benn Jr. Elementary
How many students attend Mack Benn Jr. Elementary?
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary has 713 students enrolled. It is a public school in Suffolk, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary?
65.5% of students at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mack Benn Jr. Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mack Benn Jr. Elementary is African American at 67.3% of enrollment, in Suffolk, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mack Benn Jr. Elementary?
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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).
How does Mack Benn Jr. Elementary rank among schools in Suffolk?
By Resource Investment Index, Mack Benn Jr. Elementary ranks #7 of 11 schools in Suffolk, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Suffolk on the city page.
Is Mack Benn Jr. Elementary a good school?
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia 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 Suffolk City Public Schools?
Besides Mack Benn Jr. Elementary, Suffolk City Public Schools also operates King's Fork High (1,686 students), Nansemond River High (1,683 students), and Lakeland High (1,045 students). See the Suffolk City 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.