Thomas Benton Elementary

Q: Is Thomas Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Benton Elementary ranks 579 th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Thomas Benton Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, Missouri, serving 216 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Columbia 93 school district, which is ranked 191 out of 376 districts in the state.

Thomas Benton Elementary stands out from nearby schools like Russell Blvd. Elementary and John Ridgeway Elementary in several key ways. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (44.91%) compared to the 5.87% to 35.01% range at nearby schools. Additionally, an extremely high 98.61% of Thomas Benton students receive free or reduced-price lunch, much higher than the 14.54% to 99.11% range at surrounding schools. Academically, Thomas Benton consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of Missouri elementary schools and performs significantly lower than district and state averages on state assessments.

These factors suggest that Thomas Benton Elementary faces significant socioeconomic challenges that likely contribute to its lower academic performance. The stark racial disparities between Thomas Benton and nearby schools also raise questions about potential inequities in the district's school assignment policies. Despite these challenges, Thomas Benton has been a low-performing school for many years, indicating the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and ensure all children in the Columbia 93 district have access to high-quality education.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1410 Hinkson Ave
Columbia, MO 65201-5713

(573) 214-3610

District: Columbia 93

SchoolDigger Rank:
579^th of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,722

Students who attend Thomas Benton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jefferson Middle School
High:	David H. Hickman High

Student/teacher ratio: 10.4

Number of students: 216

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.9%

White:

36.1%

Two or more races:

14.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.6%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Thomas Benton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Benton Elementary ranks worse than 64.5% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 11^th among 20 ranked elementary schools in the Columbia 93 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.85. (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 Student population at Thomas Benton Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (44.9%), White (36.1%), two or more races (14.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Benton Elementary is 10.4, which is the lowest among 22 elementary schools in the Columbia 93 School District! (See more...)

Compare Thomas Benton Elementary employs 20.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Benton Elementary is $15,722, which is the 2^nd highest among 20 elementary schools in the Columbia 93 School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Thomas Benton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Benton Elementary 579^th of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Thomas Benton Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Columbia 93:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia 93 191^st of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Thomas Benton Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Thomas Benton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	21.58	956^th	1074	11.0%
2007	17.80	995^th	1080	7.9%
2008	14.35	1016^th	1084	6.3%
2009	7.41	1008^th	1053	4.3%
2010	6.99	1031^st	1066	3.3%
2011	8.95	1033^rd	1088	5.1%
2012	5.42	1043^rd	1085	3.9%
2013	7.74	1059^th	1108	4.4%
2014	8.43	1025^th	1089	5.9%
2015	8.44	989^th	1058	6.5%
2016	11.82	784^th	865	9.4%
2017	7.30	978^th	1032	5.2%
2018	11.84	947^th	1045	9.4%
2019	20.02	891^st	1052	15.3%
2021	15.64	764^th	901	15.2%
2022	24.03	700^th	908	22.9%
2023	38.85	579^th	898	35.5%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Benton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	22.78	769^th	887	13.3%
2019	35.87	652^nd	907	28.1%
2021	36.79	360^th	574	37.3%
2022	36.77	341^st	532	35.9%
2023	67.18	130^th	611	78.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Thomas Benton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.96	635^th	898	29.3%
2019	40.77	552^nd	917	39.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Thomas Benton Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	293	293
1992	199	99	9	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	312
1993	214	98	8	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	327
1994	169	120	10	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	310
1995	153	123	12	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	296
1996	153	123	12	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	296
1997	179	127	9	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	320
1998	194	128	11	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	342
1999	134	133	7	37	4	n/a	n/a	0	315
2000	122	166	8	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	303
2001	116	199	9	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2002	154	169	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	335
2003	154	169	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	335
2004	108	173	3	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	297
2005	90	136	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	236
2006	79	160	5	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	251
2007	78	190	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	279
2008	72	178	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	262
2009	75	193	1	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	279
2010	54	182	5	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	253
2011	62	157	4	16	1	1	11	0	252
2012	75	175	6	16	1	0	21	0	294
2013	75	161	7	22	3	0	31	0	299
2014	90	158	3	23	5	0	28	0	307
2015	92	158	2	19	6	0	39	0	316
2016	117	146	1	11	2	0	39	0	316
2017	120	143	1	13	1	2	38	0	318
2018	104	141	1	15	1	1	45	0	308
2019	81	115	1	7	0	2	38	0	244
2020	88	94	1	3	0	0	33	0	219
2021	89	81	0	4	0	0	32	0	206
2022	84	90	0	8	0	0	39	0	221
2023	78	97	0	9	0	0	32	0	216

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 Thomas Benton Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	293	19.9	14.7	n/a
1992	312	19.1	16.3	n/a
1993	327	22.2	14.7	50.5
1994	310	22.7	13.7	51.6
1995	296	34.4	8.6	52.4
1996	296	34.4	8.6	52.4
1997	320	36.8	8.7	50.9
1998	342	36.1	9.5	54.1
1999	315	37.3	8.4	62.5
2000	303	38.4	7.9	70
2001	332	52.5	6.3	59
2002	335	56.2	6.0	58.5
2003	335	56.2	6.0	58.5
2004	297	51.0	5.8	63.6
2005	236	50.4	4.7	65.7
2006	251	57.0	4.4	76.1
2007	279	20.3	13.7	74.2
2008	262	22.4	11.7	71.8
2009	279	21.3	13.1	79.2
2010	253	20.8	12.1	77.1
2011	252	20.0	12.5	79
2012	294	17.5	16.8	85.7
2013	299	23.9	12.5	80.9
2014	307	23.7	12.9	78.8
2015	316	24.0	13.1	79.4
2016	316	23.0	13.7	75.6
2017	318	23.6	13.4	100
2018	308	25.2	12.2	100
2019	244	21.7	11.2	98.8
2020	219	20.9	10.4	98.6
2021	206	19.8	10.4	98.5
2022	221	19.8	11.1	98.6
2023	216	20.7	10.4	98.6

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 Thomas Benton Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	293	19.9	14.7	n/a
1992	312	19.1	16.3	n/a
1993	327	22.2	14.7	50.5
1994	310	22.7	13.7	51.6
1995	296	34.4	8.6	52.4
1996	296	34.4	8.6	52.4
1997	320	36.8	8.7	50.9
1998	342	36.1	9.5	54.1
1999	315	37.3	8.4	62.5
2000	303	38.4	7.9	70
2001	332	52.5	6.3	59
2002	335	56.2	6.0	58.5
2003	335	56.2	6.0	58.5
2004	297	51.0	5.8	63.6
2005	236	50.4	4.7	65.7
2006	251	57.0	4.4	76.1
2007	279	20.3	13.7	74.2
2008	262	22.4	11.7	71.8
2009	279	21.3	13.1	79.2
2010	253	20.8	12.1	77.1
2011	252	20.0	12.5	79
2012	294	17.5	16.8	85.7
2013	299	23.9	12.5	80.9
2014	307	23.7	12.9	78.8
2015	316	24.0	13.1	79.4
2016	316	23.0	13.7	75.6
2017	318	23.6	13.4	100
2018	308	25.2	12.2	100
2019	244	21.7	11.2	98.8
2020	219	20.9	10.4	98.6
2021	206	19.8	10.4	98.5
2022	221	19.8	11.1	98.6
2023	216	20.7	10.4	98.6

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 Thomas Benton Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$270 (2.0%)	$13,087 (98.0%)	$13,357
2020	$367 (2.6%)	$13,804 (97.4%)	$14,170
2021	$642 (4.2%)	$14,674 (95.8%)	$15,316
2022	$589 (3.7%)	$15,133 (96.3%)	$15,722

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Benton Elementary

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 891^st of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 579^th of 898 Elementary schools	20.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Benton Elementary)	19	17.9	1.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbia 93)	43.1	37.8	5.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	41.4	7.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Benton Elementary)	43.9	30.5	13.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia 93)	46.9	41.2	5.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Benton Elementary)	26.2	26.3	0.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Columbia 93)	46.5	38.9	7.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Thomas Benton Elementary)	33.4	52.7	19.3%
5th Grade Science (Columbia 93)	42.4	39.3	3.1%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Benton Elementary)	23.8	36.8	13%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia 93)	45	42.9	2.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	244	216	11.5%
African American	115	97	15.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	7	9	28.6%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	81	78	3.7%
Two or More Races	38	32	15.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98.8%	98.6%	0.2%

Schools Near Thomas Benton Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Mathematics (2023)			MAP Science (2023)	MAP English Language Arts (2023)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Benton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1410 Hinkson Ave	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3610	216	21	10.4	98.6%	78 (36.1%)	97 (44.9%)	9 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (14.8%)	38.9	579^th of 898 public elementary schools	35.5%		24	700^th of 908 public elementary schools	22.9%	121	18.9		26.3	52.7		30.5	36.8	$15,722	$589	$15,133
Eugene Field Center	Public	1-5	1010 Rangeline St	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3750	0	9	5.5		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)								$3,397	$125	$3,272
Locust St Expressive Arts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1208 Locust	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3530	290	21	13.5	46.6%	148 (51.0%)	59 (20.3%)	18 (6.2%)	30 (10.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (11.7%)	46.5	496^th of 898 public elementary schools	44.8%					(n/a)		41.7	21.7			55.6	39.2	$13,101	$622	$12,479
John Ridgeway Elementary	Public	K-5	107 E Sexton	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3550	227	15	15.1	14.5%	162 (71.4%)	22 (9.7%)	8 (3.5%)	13 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.7%)	75.7	180^th of 898 public elementary schools	80.0%		76.8	180^th of 908 public elementary schools	80.2%		50.0	56.7		45.2	62.5			$13,131	$604	$12,528
Ulysses S. Grant Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10 E Broadway	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3520	327	22	14.7	36.7%	180 (55.0%)	79 (24.2%)	21 (6.4%)	14 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.1%)	60.7	345^th of 898 public elementary schools	61.6%		65.1	306^th of 908 public elementary schools	66.3%	39	38.6	37.1	51.0	51.0	44.7	43.3	56.9	$12,829	$425	$12,404
Parkade Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Parkade Blvd	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3630	364	32	11.4	54.9%	159 (43.7%)	105 (28.8%)	28 (7.7%)	18 (4.9%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.4%)	46 (12.6%)	28.8	674^th of 898 public elementary schools	24.9%		24	699^th of 908 public elementary schools	23.0%	25	35.7	23.7	16.1	16.0	43.7	35.2	26.8	$13,864	$733	$13,131
Shepard Blvd. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2616 Shepard Blvd	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3660	516	41	12.4	62.8%	188 (36.4%)	170 (32.9%)	49 (9.5%)	15 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	91 (17.6%)	17.5	754^th of 898 public elementary schools	16.0%		24.1	697^th of 908 public elementary schools	23.2%	57	9.9	29.9	15.3	14.1	14.9	34.2	28.6	$12,091	$469	$11,622
West Blvd. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	319 West Blvd North	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3670	337	30	11.3	99.1%	132 (39.2%)	118 (35.0%)	17 (5.0%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (19.0%)	21.9	728^th of 898 public elementary schools	18.9%		34.7	607^th of 908 public elementary schools	33.1%	121	23.9	32.5	12.5	12.5		47.5	19.6	$15,043	$708	$14,335
Derby Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Derby Ridge Rd	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3270	395	38	10.4	69.9%	117 (29.6%)	170 (43.0%)	33 (8.4%)	20 (5.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (13.7%)	10.3	816^th of 898 public elementary schools	9.1%		12.4	807^th of 908 public elementary schools	11.1%	9	4.8	10.2	10.5	22.3	16.1	16.0	21.1	$14,822	$759	$14,063
Blue Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 Woodland Dr	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3580	419	34	12.4	67.5%	123 (29.4%)	137 (32.7%)	86 (20.5%)	17 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	53 (12.6%)	14.5	778^th of 898 public elementary schools	13.4%		9.3	833^rd of 908 public elementary schools	8.3%	55	16.5	13.6	14.8	17.6	26.4	15.1	27.7	$13,334	$729	$12,605

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Benton Elementary

Is Thomas Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Benton Elementary ranks 579^th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Thomas Benton Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 216 students attended Thomas Benton Elementary.

What district is Thomas Benton Elementary in?

Columbia 93

What schools do graduates of Thomas Benton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thomas Benton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jefferson Middle School
High : David H. Hickman High

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Benton Elementary?

Students at Thomas Benton Elementary are 45% African American, 36% White, 15% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

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