Benton Community Middle School

Summary:

Benton Community Middle School is a public middle school in Van Horne, Iowa, serving 235 students in grades 7-8 as part of the Benton Community School District. The school consistently performs above the state average in academic assessments, with proficiency rates of 87.9% in 7th grade English Language Arts (ELA) and 74.8% in 7th grade Mathematics, compared to state averages of 77.3% and 69.9%, respectively.

While Benton Community Middle School's academic performance is generally higher than the nearby Norway Elementary School, it falls short of the higher-performing Center Point-Urbana Middle School, which is part of a different school district. Additionally, the Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy Middle has significantly lower proficiency rates compared to Benton Community Middle School and the state averages.

Benton Community Middle School's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $9,661, which is lower than the nearby Center Point-Urbana Middle School ($12,542) and Taft Middle School ($15,361). The school has consistently ranked in the middle to lower range of Iowa middle schools, with a ranking between 151 and 189 out of 334-337 schools in recent years, suggesting room for improvement in its overall academic achievement.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 600 1st St
       Van Horne, IA  52346-0070


(319) 228-8701

District: Benton Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
185th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,661 Help


Students who attend Benton Community Middle School usually attend:

High:    Benton Community Senior High School

Feeder schools for Benton Community Middle School:

Elementary:    Atkins Elementary School
    Keystone Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.9 Help
Number of students:  235

Racial breakdown:

White:
91.5%
Hispanic:
3.4%
Two or more races:
3.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  22.6% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Benton Community Middle School ranks worse than 54.9% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.97. (See more...)
Help
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.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benton Community Middle School is $9,661.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Benton Community Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Benton Community Middle School 185th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Benton Community Middle School in the ranking list.)



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Rank History for Benton Community Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 61.43 128th 349 63.3%
2013 61.58 131st 350 62.6%
2014 67.03 103rd 337 69.4%
2015 66.27 111th 349 68.2%
2016 63.19 121st 343 64.7%
2017 62.97 119th 327 63.6%
2018 55.76 151st 318 52.5%
2019 54.01 167th 342 51.2%
2021 51.56 176th 324 45.7%
2022 51.88 173rd 337 48.7%
2023 50.36 189th 334 43.4%
2024 52.97 185th 337 45.1%
See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

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

Benton Community Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    




Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Benton Community Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 249 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 250
1989 275 2 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 277
1990 271 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 272
1991 258 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 260
1992 273 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 273
1993 283 1 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 284
1994 290 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 292
1995 221 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 224
1996 221 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 224
1997 233 1 2 1 1 n/a n/a 0 238
1998 258 3 1 0 3 n/a n/a 0 265
1999 277 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 280
2000 243 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 245
2001 243 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 243
2002 274 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 275
2003 274 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 275
2004 244 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 244
2005 237 2 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 240
2006 248 0 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 250
2007 259 1 2 0 1 n/a n/a 0 263
2008 248 2 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 252
2009 235 2 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 240
2010 211 3 1 3 3 0 4 0 225
2011 198 5 2 0 1 0 2 0 208
2012 202 4 1 1 1 0 3 0 212
2013 209 0 1 2 1 0 3 0 216
2014 214 1 1 3 1 0 3 0 223
2015 199 2 0 3 1 0 2 0 207
2016 209 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 215
2017 233 2 2 5 0 0 1 0 243
2018 213 3 1 4 0 0 2 0 223
2019 211 5 0 4 0 0 2 0 222
2020 216 6 1 6 2 0 3 0 234
2021 200 0 1 7 1 0 5 0 214
2022 203 3 0 6 0 0 8 0 220
2023 215 4 0 8 0 0 8 0 235

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 Benton Community Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 250 17.0 14.7 n/a
1989 277 1.7 162.9 19.1
1990 272 15.2 17.8 0
1991 260 15.8 16.4 6.2
1992 273 18.0 15.1 6.6
1993 284 17.5 16.2 7.7
1994 292 16.0 18.3 7.5
1995 224 14.2 15.8 8.5
1996 224 14.2 15.8 8.5
1997 238 12.4 19.2 7.6
1998 265 14.7 18.0 6.8
1999 280 17.0 16.5 12.1
2000 245 13.0 18.8 12.7
2001 243 15.9 15.3 10.3
2002 275 16.1 17.1 13.1
2003 275 16.1 17.1 13.1
2004 244 23.2 10.5 15.2
2005 240 16.9 14.2 17.1
2006 250 16.9 14.8 16
2007 263 16.9 15.6 21.3
2008 252 16.9 14.9 21.8
2009 240 16.7 14.4 20.4
2010 225 15.7 14.3 21.3
2011 208 13.0 16.0 21.6
2012 212 13.8 15.3 24.1
2013 216 14.3 15.0 22.7
2014 223 13.8 16.1 28.3
2015 207 13.0 15.9 28
2016 215 14.0 15.3 20
2017 243 15.3 15.8 22.6
2018 223 12.8 17.4 24.2
2019 222 11.7 18.8 26.1
2020 234 12.2 19.1 30.3
2021 214 15.1 14.1 31.8
2022 220 16.1 13.6 26.4
2023 235 13.9 16.9 22.6

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 Benton Community Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 250 17.0 14.7 n/a
1989 277 1.7 162.9 19.1
1990 272 15.2 17.8 0
1991 260 15.8 16.4 6.2
1992 273 18.0 15.1 6.6
1993 284 17.5 16.2 7.7
1994 292 16.0 18.3 7.5
1995 224 14.2 15.8 8.5
1996 224 14.2 15.8 8.5
1997 238 12.4 19.2 7.6
1998 265 14.7 18.0 6.8
1999 280 17.0 16.5 12.1
2000 245 13.0 18.8 12.7
2001 243 15.9 15.3 10.3
2002 275 16.1 17.1 13.1
2003 275 16.1 17.1 13.1
2004 244 23.2 10.5 15.2
2005 240 16.9 14.2 17.1
2006 250 16.9 14.8 16
2007 263 16.9 15.6 21.3
2008 252 16.9 14.9 21.8
2009 240 16.7 14.4 20.4
2010 225 15.7 14.3 21.3
2011 208 13.0 16.0 21.6
2012 212 13.8 15.3 24.1
2013 216 14.3 15.0 22.7
2014 223 13.8 16.1 28.3
2015 207 13.0 15.9 28
2016 215 14.0 15.3 20
2017 243 15.3 15.8 22.6
2018 223 12.8 17.4 24.2
2019 222 11.7 18.8 26.1
2020 234 12.2 19.1 30.3
2021 214 15.1 14.1 31.8
2022 220 16.1 13.6 26.4
2023 235 13.9 16.9 22.6

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 Benton Community Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $223 (2.3%) $9,438 (97.7%) $9,661

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Benton Community Middle 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 167th of 342 Middle schoolsRanks 189th of 334 Middle schools
 7.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community Middle School)65.577.4
 11.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community School District)65.577.4
 11.9%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.974.2
 4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community Middle School)68.166
 2.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community School District)68.166
 2.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)70.168.9
 1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community Middle School)75.782.3
 6.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community School District)75.782.3
 6.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)69.576
 6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community Middle School)78.462.1
 16.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community School District)78.462.1
 16.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.872
 0.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students222235
 5.9%
African American54
 20%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic48
 100%
Pacific Islander00
White211215
 1.9%
Two or More Races28
 300%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.1%22.6%
 3.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Benton Community Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 235 students attended Benton Community Middle School.

Students who attend Benton Community Middle School usually go on to attend Benton Community Senior High School

Benton Community Middle School ranks 185th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Benton Community Middle School are 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.


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





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