Enrollment
401
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 291548000707
Thomas Hart Benton Elem. — Independence, MO
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Hart Benton Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 25
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: Independence 30 · 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)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Hart 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 Hart Benton Elem. reports 401 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% above the Missouri average and 33% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 401 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Independence 30 spends $16,029 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.9% from local sources (property taxes), 35.3% from the state, and 21.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), 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 Hart 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 19% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.0% | ▲ 50% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 401 | top 65% | — | — |
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
69.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
— 19% above state mean
Top 83% in Missouri — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.9%
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
$16,029
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 401 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 401 Top 65% in Missouri — larger than 35% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 15.3:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.0% +50% vs state
NCES ID 291548000707
Student demographics
White 44.4%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
African American 18.0%
Two or More 10.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 44.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 401:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.9%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 26
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Thomas Hart Benton Elem..
$16,029
Per student
+5%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
Similar other schools in Independence
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sycamore Hills Elem.
Standard public school
574 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
William Southern Elem.
Standard public school
458 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Korte Elem.
Standard public school
444 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Glendale Elem.
Standard public school
417 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Ott Elem.
Standard public school
384 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Indian Trails Elem.
Standard public school
365 students 14.2:1 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 Hart Benton Elem.
How many students attend Thomas Hart Benton Elem.?
Thomas Hart Benton Elem. has 401 students enrolled. It is a other school in INDEPENDENCE, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Hart Benton Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Hart Benton Elem. is 15.3:1, which is 19% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Hart Benton Elem.?
69.0% of students at Thomas Hart Benton Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Hart Benton Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Hart Benton Elem. is White at 44.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in INDEPENDENCE, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Hart Benton Elem.?
Thomas Hart Benton Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) 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.