Bennett C Russell Elementary School

Q: Is Bennett C Russell Elementary School a good school?

Bennett C Russell Elementary School ranks 998 th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bennett C Russell Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 819 students in grades PK-5 in Milton, Florida, which is part of the Santa Rosa school district. While the school generally performs better than the state average on standardized tests, it faces some challenges, including a significant increase in chronic absenteeism and declining performance relative to other Florida elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Bennett C Russell has a higher percentage of white students (73.75%) and a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (52.84% to 59.34%). The school's per-student spending ($10,174 in 2022-2023) is higher than the state average but lower than some of the surrounding schools, such as Scenic Heights Elementary School and S. S. Dixon Intermediate School. This difference in spending may contribute to the school's educational outcomes.

While Bennett C Russell's test scores generally exceed the state averages, the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from a 4-star rating to a 3-star rating. This suggests that the school's performance may be declining relative to other Escambia and Santa Rosa district schools. Additionally, the significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 10.5% in 2019-2020 to 27.2% in 2022-2023, is a concerning trend that is not as prevalent at some of the nearby schools, such as East Milton Elementary School and W. H. Rhodes Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3740 Excalibur Way
Milton, FL 32583

(850) 983-7000

District: Santa Rosa

SchoolDigger Rank:
998^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,174

Students who attend Bennett C Russell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Avalon Middle School
High:	Milton High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 819

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.7%

Two or more races:

10.7%

Hispanic:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.3%

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Compare Bennett C Russell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bennett C Russell Elementary School ranks better than 55.8% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks 11^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Santa Rosa School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.83. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (73.7%), two or more races (10.7%), Hispanic (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bennett C Russell Elementary School is 16. 14 elementary schools in the Santa Rosa School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Bennett C Russell Elementary School employs 51 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bennett C Russell Elementary School is $10,174, which is the 7^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Santa Rosa School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bennett C Russell Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Santa Rosa:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Rosa 15^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Bennett C Russell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2009	74.18	438^th	1847	76.3%
2010	75.16	432^nd	1919	77.5%
2011	73.45	509^th	1985	74.4%
2012	75.15	456^th	1984	77.0%
2013	70.29	569^th	2029	72.0%
2014	71.57	541^st	2064	73.8%
2016	72.92	545^th	2087	73.9%
2017	66.76	682^nd	2112	67.7%
2018	68.47	648^th	2118	69.4%
2019	69.06	646^th	2182	70.4%
2021	63.06	791^st	2247	64.8%
2022	55.54	938^th	2219	57.7%
2023	60.84	818^th	2240	63.5%
2024	53.83	998^th	2256	55.8%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Bennett C Russell Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	581	49	9	23	2	n/a	n/a	30	694
2009	721	61	14	33	3	n/a	n/a	43	875
2010	706	49	14	22	6	n/a	n/a	87	884
2011	714	54	9	33	8	1	84	0	903
2012	692	51	6	41	8	0	96	0	894
2013	702	55	10	41	5	0	93	0	906
2014	680	54	5	47	7	2	82	0	877
2015	630	32	7	47	5	2	76	0	799
2016	643	39	8	53	4	3	72	0	822
2017	673	42	8	58	4	5	82	0	872
2018	627	48	10	63	4	5	82	0	839
2019	665	50	6	60	2	4	79	0	866
2020	658	44	7	59	2	7	82	0	859
2021	558	42	4	50	1	4	62	0	721
2022	629	48	7	58	2	4	81	0	829
2023	604	47	8	65	2	5	88	0	819

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bennett C Russell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	694	43.0	16.1	40.7
2009	875	66.6	14.1	49.3
2010	884	60.0	14.7	56.2
2011	903	63.0	14.3	56
2012	894	65.0	13.7	57.9
2013	906	68.0	13.3	60.9
2014	877	70.0	12.5	63.7
2015	799	67.0	11.9	59.8
2016	822	65.0	12.6	62.4
2017	872	67.0	13.0	60.3
2018	839	73.0	11.4	61.3
2019	866	63.0	13.7	59.5
2020	859	68.0	12.6	59.5
2021	721	50.0	14.4	52.8
2022	829	58.0	14.2	56
2023	819	51.0	16.0	59.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bennett C Russell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	694	43.0	16.1	40.7
2009	875	66.6	14.1	49.3
2010	884	60.0	14.7	56.2
2011	903	63.0	14.3	56
2012	894	65.0	13.7	57.9
2013	906	68.0	13.3	60.9
2014	877	70.0	12.5	63.7
2015	799	67.0	11.9	59.8
2016	822	65.0	12.6	62.4
2017	872	67.0	13.0	60.3
2018	839	73.0	11.4	61.3
2019	866	63.0	13.7	59.5
2020	859	68.0	12.6	59.5
2021	721	50.0	14.4	52.8
2022	829	58.0	14.2	56
2023	819	51.0	16.0	59.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bennett C Russell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$699 (7.3%)	$8,858 (92.7%)	$9,557
2019	$486 (5.3%)	$8,608 (94.7%)	$9,094
2020	$440 (4.7%)	$9,000 (95.3%)	$9,440
2021	$837 (8.9%)	$8,583 (91.1%)	$9,421
2022	$1,259 (13.3%)	$8,208 (86.7%)	$9,467
2023	$1,510 (14.8%)	$8,663 (85.1%)	$10,174

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bennett C Russell Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 646^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 818^th of 2240 Elementary schools	6.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	64	59	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	71	65	6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	74	63	11%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	71	67	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	58	62	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	66	65	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	66	58	8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	73	69	4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	64	56	8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Santa Rosa)	69	62	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	70	52	18%
5th Grade Mathematics (Santa Rosa)	71	62	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Bennett C Russell Elementary School)	65	45	20%
5th Grade Science (Santa Rosa)	65	55	10%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	866	819	5.4%
African American	50	47	6%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	6	8	33.3%
Hispanic	60	65	8.3%
Pacific Islander	4	5	25%
White	665	604	9.2%
Two or More Races	79	88	11.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.5%	59.3%	0.1%

Schools Near Bennett C Russell Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)						FAST Math (2024)						Statewide Science Science (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Civics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 8th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	FAST Math 8th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 8th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bennett C Russell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3740 Excalibur Way	Milton	32583	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-7000	819	51	16.0	59.3%	604 (73.7%)	47 (5.7%)	65 (7.9%)	8 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	88 (10.7%)	53.8	998^th of 2256 public elementary schools	55.8%		60.8	818^th of 2240 public elementary schools	63.5%	180	56.0	58.0	63.0				54.0	55.0	56.0				47.0				$10,174	$1,510	$8,663
Pea Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4775 School Ln	Pace	32571	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 995-3680	837	60	13.9	60.2%	589 (70.4%)	44 (5.3%)	87 (10.4%)	11 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	6 (0.7%)	98 (11.7%)	56.6	932^nd of 2256 public elementary schools	58.7%		57.6	899^th of 2240 public elementary schools	59.9%	33	61.0	60.0	52.0				62.0	66.0	50.0				45.0				$9,227	$1,093	$8,134
S. S. Dixon Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	4560 Pace Patriot Blvd	Pace	32571	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 995-3660	834	56	14.8	42.3%	662 (79.4%)	21 (2.5%)	61 (7.3%)	19 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	67 (8.0%)								(n/a)
Bagdad Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4512 Forsyth St	Milton	32583	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-5680	498	36	13.8	68.7%	356 (71.5%)	48 (9.6%)	29 (5.8%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (11.0%)	21	1880^th of 2256 public elementary schools	16.7%		38.8	1366^th of 2240 public elementary schools	39.0%	514	48.0	40.0	36.0				46.0	44.0	20.0				28.0				$11,223	$1,497	$9,725
Wallace Lake K-8	Public	PK, KG-8	3354 Wallace Lake Road	Pace	32571	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(850) 983-5000																			(n/a)	82.0	72.0	75.0	76.0	60.0	59.0	86.0	86.0	86.0	82.0	75.0	68.0	64.0	58.0	92.0	81.0
W. H. Rhodes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5563 Byrom St	Milton	32570	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-5670	812	62	13.0	78.7%	547 (67.4%)	107 (13.2%)	40 (4.9%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	105 (12.9%)	46.9	1180^th of 2256 public elementary schools	47.7%		48.1	1136^th of 2240 public elementary schools	49.3%	44	50.0	47.0	54.0				51.0	63.0	48.0				55.0				$11,483	$1,469	$10,013
Berryhill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4900 Berryhill Rd	Milton	32570	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-5690	923	60	15.3	51.4%	707 (76.6%)	47 (5.1%)	57 (6.2%)	9 (1.0%)	8 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	93 (10.1%)	73.4	563^rd of 2256 public elementary schools	75.0%		67.4	677^th of 2240 public elementary schools	69.8%	114	68.0	63.0	62.0				74.0	69.0	66.0				56.0				$9,251	$1,222	$8,029
East Milton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5156 Ward Basin Rd	Milton	32583	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 983-5620	789	50	15.7	75.0%	620 (78.6%)	38 (4.8%)	49 (6.2%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	72 (9.1%)	48.8	1118^th of 2256 public elementary schools	50.4%		34.3	1485^th of 2240 public elementary schools	33.7%	367	48.0	52.0	60.0				58.0	55.0	55.0				45.0				$10,744	$1,515	$9,228
S. S. Dixon Intermediate School	Public	3-5	5540 Education Dr	Pace	32571	Santa Rosa County	Santa Rosa	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 995-3650	920	55	16.7	40.1%	748 (81.3%)	23 (2.5%)	60 (6.5%)	21 (2.3%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	63 (6.8%)	70	641^st of 2256 public elementary schools	71.6%		83.3	331^st of 2240 public elementary schools	85.2%	310	62.0	70.0	55.0				70.0	76.0	61.0				55.0				$8,717	$1,071	$7,647
Scenic Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3801 Cherry Laurel Dr	Pensacola	32504	Escambia County	Escambia	No	No	No	Yes	(850) 494-5635	809	48	16.8	51.4%	415 (51.3%)	149 (18.4%)	145 (17.9%)	34 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	60 (7.4%)	55.4	961^st of 2256 public elementary schools	57.4%		62	794^th of 2240 public elementary schools	64.6%	167	52.0	52.0	57.0				53.0	68.0	54.0				61.0				$10,324	$2,292	$8,032

Frequently Asked Questions about Bennett C Russell Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Bennett C Russell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bennett C Russell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Avalon Middle School
High : Milton High School

Is Bennett C Russell Elementary School a good school?

Bennett C Russell Elementary School ranks 998^th of 2256 Florida elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Bennett C Russell Elementary School in?

Santa Rosa

What is the racial makeup of Bennett C Russell Elementary School?

Students at Bennett C Russell Elementary School are 74% White, 11% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 6% African American.

How many students attend Bennett C Russell Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 819 students attended Bennett C Russell Elementary School.

Rate Bennett C Russell Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.