Enrollment
232
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 290100000313
Thomas Benton Elem. — Columbia, MO
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Benton Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 28
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: Columbia 93 · Missouri
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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+114% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Benton Elem. compares with Missouri 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
Thomas Benton Elem. reports 232 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% below the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 32% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 114% above the Missouri average and 90% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 232 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Columbia 93 spends $15,957 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 64.5% from local sources (property taxes), 25.3% from the state, and 10.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), calculated from 4 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 Thomas Benton Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 114% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 232 | top 35% | — | — |
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
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 114% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 23% in Missouri — lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$15,957
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 232 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 232 Top 35% in Missouri — larger than 65% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 10.8:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.6% +114% vs state
NCES ID 290100000313
Student demographics
African American 41.4%
White 37.9%
Two or More 14.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Largest group: African American at 41.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 232:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.9%
In-school suspensions 20
Out-of-school suspensions 28
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes Thomas Benton Elem..
$15,957
Per student
+5%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 25.3%
Federal 10.2%
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
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,492
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mary Paxton Keeley Elem.
Standard public school
619 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Mill Creek Elem.
Standard public school
583 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Rock Bridge Elem.
Standard public school
556 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Shepard Blvd. Elem.
Standard public school
538 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Russell Blvd. Elem.
Standard public school
500 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elem.
Standard public school
471 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 Thomas Benton Elem.
How many students attend Thomas Benton Elem.?
Thomas Benton Elem. has 232 students enrolled. It is a other school in COLUMBIA, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Benton Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Benton Elem. is 10.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 32% 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 Thomas Benton Elem.?
98.6% of students at Thomas Benton Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Benton Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Benton Elem. is African American at 41.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in COLUMBIA, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Benton Elem.?
Thomas Benton Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.