Benton Community Middle School

Q: Is Benton Community Middle School a good school?

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

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:
185^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,661

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

Number of students: 235

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.5%

Hispanic:

3.4%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Benton Community Middle School ranks worse than 54.9% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.97. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

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

See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Benton Community Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	249	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	250
1989	275	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	277
1990	271	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	272
1991	258	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	260
1992	273	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	273
1993	283	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	284
1994	290	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	292
1995	221	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	224
1996	221	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	224
1997	233	1	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	238
1998	258	3	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	265
1999	277	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	280
2000	243	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	245
2001	243	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	243
2002	274	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	275
2003	274	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	275
2004	244	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	244
2005	237	2	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	240
2006	248	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	250
2007	259	1	2	0	1	n/a	n/a	263
2008	248	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	252
2009	235	2	1	1	1	n/a	n/a	240
2010	211	3	1	3	3	0	4	225
2011	198	5	2	0	1	0	2	208
2012	202	4	1	1	1	0	3	212
2013	209	0	1	2	1	0	3	216
2014	214	1	1	3	1	0	3	223
2015	199	2	0	3	1	0	2	207
2016	209	1	1	4	0	0	0	215
2017	233	2	2	5	0	0	1	243
2018	213	3	1	4	0	0	2	223
2019	211	5	0	4	0	0	2	222
2020	216	6	1	6	2	0	3	234
2021	200	0	1	7	1	0	5	214
2022	203	3	0	6	0	0	8	220
2023	215	4	0	8	0	0	8	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

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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 167^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 189^th 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)	65.5	77.4	11.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community School District)	65.5	77.4	11.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community Middle School)	68.1	66	2.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community School District)	68.1	66	2.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community Middle School)	75.7	82.3	6.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Benton Community School District)	75.7	82.3	6.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community Middle School)	78.4	62.1	16.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Benton Community School District)	78.4	62.1	16.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	222	235	5.9%
African American	5	4	20%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	4	8	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	211	215	1.9%
Two or More Races	2	8	300%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.1%	22.6%	3.6%

Schools Near Benton Community Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)					ISASP Mathematics (2024)					ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benton Community Middle School	Public	7-8	600 1st St	Van Horne	52346	Benton County	Benton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 228-8701	235	14	16.9	22.6%	215 (91.5%)	4 (1.7%)	8 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	53	185^th of 337 public middle schools	45.1%		50.4	189^th of 334 public middle schools	43.4%	4				87.9	80.0				74.8	55.2		69.5	$9,661	$223	$9,438
Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School	Public	6-8	212 W. 15th St.	Vinton	52349	Benton County	Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 436-4728	318	21	14.9	42.5%	294 (92.5%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	68.1	101^st of 337 public middle schools	70.0%		79.3	42^nd of 334 public middle schools	87.4%	59			71.4	92.3	86.0			67.0	87.5	86.0		75.4	$11,566	$339	$11,227
Norway Elementary School	Public	4-6	100 School Drive	Norway	52318	Benton County	Benton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 227-7142	338	22	15.0	23.7%	304 (89.9%)	2 (0.6%)	16 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.1%)								(n/a)	72.1	74.3	77.5			76.6	72.5	73.3			52.3		$11,644	$356	$11,288
Union Middle School	Public	6-8	505 West	Dysart	52224	Tama County	Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 476-5100	201	16	12.7	28.4%	186 (92.5%)	2 (1.0%)	8 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.5%)								(n/a)													$14,761	$210	$14,552
Taft Middle School	Public	6-8	5200 E Ave NW	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2243	578	40	14.2	37.7%	395 (68.3%)	74 (12.8%)	38 (6.6%)	16 (2.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.0%)	38.2	244^th of 337 public middle schools	27.6%		49.9	192^nd of 334 public middle schools	42.5%	52			70.8	81.0	71.2			68.1	64.7	62.6		67.2	$15,361	$386	$14,975
Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy Middle	Public, Virtual	6-8	2500 Egewood Rd	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(319) 558-3427	47	3	15.6	63.8%	28 (59.6%)	8 (17.0%)	4 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (12.8%)	4.6	322^nd of 337 public middle schools	4.5%		0.9	330^th of 334 public middle schools	1.2%	8					65.0					33.3		30.0
Center Point-Urbana Middle School	Public	6-8	613 Summit Street	Center Point	52213	Linn County	Center Point-Urbana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 849-1102	337	24	13.8	16.3%	316 (93.8%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	77.6	47^th of 337 public middle schools	86.1%		84.4	17^th of 334 public middle schools	94.9%	30			85.2	88.6	90.5			79.6	83.0	81.9		78.4	$12,542	$448	$12,095

Frequently Asked Questions about Benton Community Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Benton Community Middle School?

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

What high school do graduates of Benton Community Middle School attend?

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

Is Benton Community Middle School a good school?

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

What district is Benton Community Middle School in?

Benton Community School District

How many students attend Benton Community Middle School?

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

Rate Benton Community Middle 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 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.