Enrollment
297
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Benton, MO
Thomas W. Kelly High
Federal NCES profile for Thomas W. Kelly High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290489000059
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas W. Kelly High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 33.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas W. Kelly High has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas W. Kelly High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Benton, MO.
School address
District: Scott Co. R-Iv · Missouri
NCES ID 290489000059 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas W. Kelly High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas W. Kelly High
Thomas W. Kelly High is a mid-sized high school in Benton, Missouri, enrolling 297 students.
At 12.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.9% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 297 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 481 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #358, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 9/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Scott Co. R-Iv spends $10,095 per pupil, 22% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 147 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 297 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Scott Co. R-Iv also operates Scott Co. Elem. (410 students) and Scott Co. Middle (195 students) alongside Thomas W. Kelly High.
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 Thomas W. Kelly High compares
Thomas W. Kelly High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 26% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 297 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
297
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 46% in Missouri - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,095
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
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 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
128
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 43.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 49.5 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 95.3%
African American 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Largest group: White at 95.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.1, Thomas W. Kelly High is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Scott Co. R-Iv, which includes Thomas W. Kelly High.
$10,095
Per student
-22%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.4%
State 37.3%
Federal 21.3%
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 Thomas W. Kelly High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Co. Elem. | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scott Co. Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas W. Kelly High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 195
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~297 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas W. Kelly High's federal record.
- Compare Thomas W. Kelly High against another school. Compare schools
- Scott Co. R-Iv'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 Thomas W. Kelly High
How many students attend Thomas W. Kelly High?
Thomas W. Kelly High has 297 students enrolled. It is a high school in Benton, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas W. Kelly High?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas W. Kelly High is 12.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas W. Kelly High?
33.9% of students at Thomas W. Kelly High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas W. Kelly High?
The largest demographic group at Thomas W. Kelly High is White at 95.3% of enrollment, in Benton, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas W. Kelly High?
Thomas W. Kelly High has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Thomas W. Kelly High rank among public schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas W. Kelly High ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Benton, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benton on the city page.
Is Thomas W. Kelly High a good school?
Thomas W. Kelly High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri 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 Scott Co. R-Iv?
Besides Thomas W. Kelly High, Scott Co. R-Iv also operates Scott Co. Elem. (410 students) and Scott Co. Middle (195 students). See the Scott Co. R-Iv 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.