Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Summary:

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary is a public elementary school in Independence, Missouri, serving 397 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Independence 30 School District, which is ranked 235 out of 376 school districts in the state.

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (23.17%) and African American (16.88%) students. While the school's academic performance is mixed, with 3rd and 5th-grade math and ELA proficiency rates below the state average, its 5th-grade science proficiency rate is higher than both the district and state averages. The school also has a high percentage of students (over 80%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. Interestingly, the school's African American students have performed particularly well, ranking 13th out of 163 Missouri elementary schools in the 2020-2021 school year.

When compared to nearby schools like Three Trails Elementary and Blackburn Elementary, Thomas Hart Benton Elementary has a higher per-student spending of $11,974, but its academic performance is generally on par with or slightly below the other schools in the district. This suggests that the school may be facing unique challenges or serving a more disadvantaged student population. However, the school's improvement in its statewide ranking over the years, from the bottom 10% in 2012-2013 to the top 50% in 2022-2023, indicates that it is making progress in addressing these challenges.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 429 S Leslie
       Independence, MO  64050-4032


(816) 521-5390

District: Independence 30

SchoolDigger Rank:
466th of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,974 Help


Students who attend Thomas Hart Benton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Bingham Middle
    Bridger Middle
High:    William Chrisman High

Student/teacher ratio:  14.8 Help
Number of students:  397

Racial breakdown:

White:
49.4%
Hispanic:
23.2%
African American:
16.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  82.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Thomas Hart Benton Elementary ranks worse than 51.9% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 7th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.48. (See more...)
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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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Compare Details Student population at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (49.4%), Hispanic (23.2%), African American (16.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 82.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary is 14.8, which is the 7th best among 19 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Thomas Hart Benton Elementary employs 26.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary is $11,974. 15 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Hart Benton Elementary 466th of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Thomas Hart Benton Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:


Independence 30:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence 30 235th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 60.83 363rd 1074 66.2%
2007 68.97 247th 1080 77.1%
2008 64.84 311th 1084 71.3%
2009 42.54 686th 1053 34.9%
2010 33.50 810th 1066 24.0%
2011 29.37 879th 1088 19.2%
2012 21.44 944th 1085 13.0%
2013 19.67 976th 1108 11.9%
2014 29.41 859th 1089 21.1%
2015 17.26 934th 1058 11.7%
2016 20.73 731st 865 15.5%
2017 18.40 894th 1032 13.4%
2018 31.34 753rd 1045 27.9%
2019 36.35 711th 1052 32.4%
2021 38.30 583rd 901 35.3%
2022 36.19 587th 908 35.4%
2023 49.48 466th 898 48.1%
See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.92 439th 887 50.5%
2019 49.49 442nd 907 51.3%
2021 64.72 126th 574 78.0%
2022 60.35 157th 532 70.5%
2023 65.04 144th 611 76.4%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 76.57 13th 163 92.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.85 44th 105 58.1%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.32 699th 898 22.2%
2019 43.35 515th 917 43.8%
2021 50.41 333rd 691 51.8%
2022 16.18 599th 675 11.3%
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.

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Thomas Hart 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 398 398
1992 371 30 9 8 1 n/a n/a 0 419
1993 317 22 8 12 1 n/a n/a 0 360
1994 322 29 7 19 1 n/a n/a 0 378
1995 337 27 11 20 3 n/a n/a 0 398
1996 337 27 11 20 3 n/a n/a 0 398
1997 303 26 10 21 1 n/a n/a 0 361
1998 390 45 15 24 0 n/a n/a 0 474
1999 384 46 19 24 7 n/a n/a 0 480
2000 378 47 15 22 9 n/a n/a 0 471
2001 308 35 14 16 10 n/a n/a 0 383
2002 316 38 15 18 13 n/a n/a 0 400
2003 316 38 15 18 13 n/a n/a 0 400
2004 302 42 20 27 12 n/a n/a 0 403
2005 303 60 24 29 13 n/a n/a 0 429
2006 309 72 20 37 8 n/a n/a 0 446
2007 299 62 10 40 6 n/a n/a 0 417
2008 304 49 9 51 2 n/a n/a 0 415
2009 332 66 10 54 3 n/a n/a 0 465
2010 310 54 11 49 1 n/a n/a 0 425
2011 291 38 11 69 2 8 7 0 426
2012 300 45 8 58 2 6 28 0 447
2013 280 51 3 56 2 2 43 0 437
2014 276 47 3 52 4 2 37 0 421
2015 294 63 2 61 7 3 49 0 479
2016 265 58 1 79 5 1 56 0 465
2017 262 59 1 84 3 2 58 0 469
2018 261 64 0 83 3 4 73 0 488
2019 220 64 1 84 5 6 71 0 451
2020 229 70 0 81 4 5 50 0 439
2021 205 73 1 85 2 5 51 0 422
2022 209 71 1 82 0 2 40 0 405
2023 196 67 1 92 0 2 39 0 397

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 Hart Benton Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 398 24.5 16.2 n/a
1992 419 23.0 18.2 44.6
1993 360 22.8 15.8 69.7
1994 378 23.5 16.1 60.3
1995 398 44.8 8.9 72.9
1996 398 44.8 8.9 72.9
1997 361 42.7 8.5 61.5
1998 474 46.8 10.1 55.3
1999 480 42.8 11.2 0
2000 471 45.7 10.3 76.2
2001 383 41.4 9.3 69.5
2002 400 38.0 10.5 65.8
2003 400 38.0 10.5 65.8
2004 403 35.5 11.4 60.5
2005 429 32.1 13.4 74.6
2006 446 30.3 14.7 77.8
2007 417 26.6 15.7 75.3
2008 415 25.6 16.2 72.8
2009 465 30.9 15.0 74
2010 425 30.5 13.9 78.1
2011 426 23.5 18.0 75.8
2012 447 25.2 17.7 79.4
2013 437 27.4 15.9 83.1
2014 421 27.5 15.3 83.1
2015 479 26.0 18.4 81.8
2016 465 29.0 16.0 84.9
2017 469 32.0 14.6 80.4
2018 488 30.0 16.2 87.5
2019 451 30.0 15.0 84.7
2020 439 27.5 15.9 85
2021 422 29.7 14.2 83.2
2022 405 26.8 15.1 78.3
2023 397 26.7 14.8 82.1

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 Hart Benton Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 398 24.5 16.2 n/a
1992 419 23.0 18.2 44.6
1993 360 22.8 15.8 69.7
1994 378 23.5 16.1 60.3
1995 398 44.8 8.9 72.9
1996 398 44.8 8.9 72.9
1997 361 42.7 8.5 61.5
1998 474 46.8 10.1 55.3
1999 480 42.8 11.2 0
2000 471 45.7 10.3 76.2
2001 383 41.4 9.3 69.5
2002 400 38.0 10.5 65.8
2003 400 38.0 10.5 65.8
2004 403 35.5 11.4 60.5
2005 429 32.1 13.4 74.6
2006 446 30.3 14.7 77.8
2007 417 26.6 15.7 75.3
2008 415 25.6 16.2 72.8
2009 465 30.9 15.0 74
2010 425 30.5 13.9 78.1
2011 426 23.5 18.0 75.8
2012 447 25.2 17.7 79.4
2013 437 27.4 15.9 83.1
2014 421 27.5 15.3 83.1
2015 479 26.0 18.4 81.8
2016 465 29.0 16.0 84.9
2017 469 32.0 14.6 80.4
2018 488 30.0 16.2 87.5
2019 451 30.0 15.0 84.7
2020 439 27.5 15.9 85
2021 422 29.7 14.2 83.2
2022 405 26.8 15.1 78.3
2023 397 26.7 14.8 82.1

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 Hart Benton Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,100 (11.2%) $8,717 (88.8%) $9,817
2020 $1,960 (17.8%) $9,074 (82.2%) $11,034
2021 $1,893 (18.0%) $8,644 (82.0%) $10,538
2022 $2,784 (23.3%) $9,190 (76.7%) $11,974

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Hart 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 711th of 1052 Elementary schoolsRanks 466th of 898 Elementary schools
 15.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)19.442.3
 22.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)38.528.3
 10.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)4641.1
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)36.144.1
 8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)4436.4
 7.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)48.742.4
 6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)55.422.8
 32.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)43.330.1
 13.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)46.843.8
 3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)63.138.6
 24.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)47.138.1
 9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)49.345.9
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)19.739.2
 19.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)37.235.6
 1.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)40.339.1
 1.2%
5th Grade Science (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)33.845.1
 11.3%
   5th Grade Science (Independence 30)42.438.1
 4.3%
   5th Grade Science (Missouri)42.540.9
 1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Hart Benton Elementary)40.843.1
 2.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)46.639.5
 7.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)47.144.1
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students451397
 12%
African American6467
 4.7%
American Indian50
 100%
Asian11
Hispanic8492
 9.5%
Pacific Islander62
 66.7%
White220196
 10.9%
Two or More Races7139
 45.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients84.7%82.1%
 2.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary are 49% White, 23% Hispanic, 17% African American, 10% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 397 students attended Thomas Hart Benton Elementary.

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary ranks 466th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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

Middle : Bingham Middle
Middle : Bridger Middle
High : William Chrisman High


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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.





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