Is Benton High a good school?

Benton High ranks in the bottom 24.6% of Missouri high schools.

How many students attend Benton High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 702 students attended Benton High.

What is the racial makeup of Benton High?

Students at Benton High are 74% White, 15% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools feed into Benton High?

Benton High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Hosea Elementary Elementary : Hyde Elementary Middle : Spring Garden Middle

Benton High

Summary:

Benton High is a public high school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 676 students. The school is part of the St. Joseph School District, which is ranked 234 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Benton High consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 14.4% of its students proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 24.9% in the St. Joseph district and 41.5% statewide. The school also has had fluctuating graduation rates, ranging from 76.9% to 96.7% over the past few years, which is lower than the 91.3% four-year graduation rate reported for the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, Benton High has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25.7% to 33.1% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to other high schools in the area, such as Lafayette High and Central High, both within a 5-mile radius of Benton High, Benton High generally performs worse academically. Additionally, Benton High's performance on standardized tests varies significantly among different student subgroups, with the school ranking relatively well for Hispanic students but much lower for White students and English Language Learners. Despite spending more per student ($12,597 in 2021-2022) compared to the state average, Benton High's academic outcomes suggest that factors beyond just funding, such as school culture, teacher quality, and student engagement, may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

5655 S Fourth
Saint Joseph, MO 64504-1708

(816) 671-4030

District: St. Joseph

SchoolDigger Rank:
285^th of 378 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,597

Feeder schools for Benton High:

Elementary:	Hosea Elementary
	Hyde Elementary
Middle:	Spring Garden Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 702

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.2%

Hispanic:

14.8%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.9%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Benton High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Benton High ranks worse than 75.4% of high schools in Missouri. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked high schools in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.64. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Benton High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (74.2%), Hispanic (14.8%), two or more races (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Benton High is 14.2. 2 high schools in the St. Joseph School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Benton High employs 49.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benton High is $12,597, which is the 2^nd highest among 3 high schools in the St. Joseph School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Benton High:

SchoolDigger ranks Benton High 285^th of 378 Missouri public high schools. (See Benton High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

St. Joseph:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Joseph 234^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Benton High?

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Rank History for Benton High

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Rank History for all students at Benton High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	61.39	171^st	534	68.0%
2007	57.83	207^th	538	61.5%
2008	53.24	262^nd	539	51.4%
2009	11.04	472^nd	507	6.9%
2010	21.47	456^th	516	11.6%
2011	16.13	483^rd	528	8.5%
2012	31.67	416^th	522	20.3%
2013	35.68	386^th	523	26.2%
2014	36.87	370^th	521	29.0%
2015	28.16	417^th	504	17.3%
2016	24.91	341^st	401	15.0%
2017	30.75	319^th	404	21.0%
2018	25.99	380^th	468	18.8%
2019	15.97	416^th	460	9.6%
2021	26.65	258^th	358	27.9%
2022	26.07	262^nd	361	27.4%
2023	12.94	317^th	352	9.9%
2024	24.64	285^th	378	24.6%

See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Benton High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	46.66	15^th	33	54.5%
2024	31.65	33^rd	45	26.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Benton High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	29.52	294^th	382	23.0%
2019	13.29	348^th	368	5.4%
2021	28.41	196^th	255	23.1%
2022	28.63	195^th	250	22.0%
2023	14.59	250^th	268	6.7%
2024	36.19	178^th	274	35.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Benton High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2022	54.24	20^th	57	64.9%
2023	25.22	53^rd	64	17.2%
2024	24.15	58^th	70	17.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Benton High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	25.26	354^th	440	19.5%
2019	13.70	399^th	430	7.2%
2021	12.19	291^st	309	5.8%
2022	19.39	263^rd	310	15.2%
2023	8.28	296^th	302	2.0%
2024	20.53	261^st	321	18.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High 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 Benton High

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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	845	845
1992	894	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	894
1993	945	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	945
1994	945	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	945
1995	930	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	930
1996	930	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	930
1997	870	18	7	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	928
1998	918	17	4	39	4	n/a	n/a	0	982
1999	928	11	3	27	5	n/a	n/a	0	974
2000	910	13	3	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	953
2001	915	18	1	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	964
2002	866	30	3	36	4	n/a	n/a	0	939
2003	866	30	3	36	4	n/a	n/a	0	939
2004	869	40	2	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	948
2005	797	44	1	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	868
2006	819	40	1	27	2	n/a	n/a	0	889
2007	791	45	2	37	4	n/a	n/a	0	879
2008	772	49	1	33	5	n/a	n/a	0	860
2009	768	45	2	33	4	n/a	n/a	0	852
2010	793	60	6	33	4	n/a	n/a	0	896
2011	770	52	8	38	7	0	0	0	875
2012	763	49	8	51	6	0	5	0	882
2013	752	54	5	57	5	0	7	0	880
2014	704	61	2	47	6	0	7	0	827
2015	705	63	1	58	3	0	9	0	839
2016	629	62	5	70	2	0	12	0	780
2017	606	63	1	66	3	2	18	0	759
2018	600	52	2	66	3	2	20	0	745
2019	591	39	2	64	3	1	29	0	729
2020	572	35	5	60	3	1	24	0	700
2021	576	29	2	64	4	4	30	0	709
2022	541	21	0	68	3	6	41	0	680
2023	537	18	0	73	2	5	41	0	676
2024	521	18	1	104	2	7	49	0	702

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 High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	845	50.7	16.6	12.1
1992	894	47.6	18.7	12.3
1993	945	49.9	18.9	12.6
1994	945	51.7	18.3	15.8
1995	930	56.3	16.5	0
1996	930	56.3	16.5	0
1997	928	56.4	16.5	16.6
1998	982	56.5	17.4	17
1999	974	58.1	16.8	26.9
2000	953	60.2	15.8	33.1
2001	964	62.3	15.5	30.3
2002	939	58.7	16.0	41.7
2003	939	58.7	16.0	41.7
2004	948	50.2	18.9	41.7
2005	868	51.0	17.0	44
2006	889	56.1	15.8	44.1
2007	879	55.0	16.0	44.1
2008	860	59.0	14.6	44.1
2009	852	58.4	14.6	46.9
2010	896	56.9	15.7	51.3
2011	875	55.1	15.8	54.4
2012	882	54.3	16.2	55.4
2013	880	58.2	15.1	56
2014	827	57.6	14.3	65.8
2015	839	58.0	14.4	65
2016	780	60.0	13.0	55.3
2017	759	57.8	13.1	64.2
2018	745	57.1	13.0	69.9
2019	729	46.8	15.5	49.8
2020	700	50.6	13.8	68.3
2021	709	44.7	15.8	32.9
2022	680	41.9	16.2	32.2
2023	676	44.8	15.0	44.4
2024	702	49.3	14.2	36.9

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 High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	845	50.7	16.6	12.1
1992	894	47.6	18.7	12.3
1993	945	49.9	18.9	12.6
1994	945	51.7	18.3	15.8
1995	930	56.3	16.5	0
1996	930	56.3	16.5	0
1997	928	56.4	16.5	16.6
1998	982	56.5	17.4	17
1999	974	58.1	16.8	26.9
2000	953	60.2	15.8	33.1
2001	964	62.3	15.5	30.3
2002	939	58.7	16.0	41.7
2003	939	58.7	16.0	41.7
2004	948	50.2	18.9	41.7
2005	868	51.0	17.0	44
2006	889	56.1	15.8	44.1
2007	879	55.0	16.0	44.1
2008	860	59.0	14.6	44.1
2009	852	58.4	14.6	46.9
2010	896	56.9	15.7	51.3
2011	875	55.1	15.8	54.4
2012	882	54.3	16.2	55.4
2013	880	58.2	15.1	56
2014	827	57.6	14.3	65.8
2015	839	58.0	14.4	65
2016	780	60.0	13.0	55.3
2017	759	57.8	13.1	64.2
2018	745	57.1	13.0	69.9
2019	729	46.8	15.5	49.8
2020	700	50.6	13.8	68.3
2021	709	44.7	15.8	32.9
2022	680	41.9	16.2	32.2
2023	676	44.8	15.0	44.4
2024	702	49.3	14.2	36.9

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 High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$337 (2.9%)	$11,311 (97.1%)	$11,648
2020	$406 (3.3%)	$11,717 (96.7%)	$12,123
2021	$966 (7.7%)	$11,572 (92.3%)	$12,538
2022	$514 (4.1%)	$12,083 (95.9%)	$12,597

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Benton High

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 416^th of 460 High schools	Ranks 317^th of 352 High schools	0.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Benton High)	8.7	2.7	6%
End of Course Algebra I (St. Joseph)	33.8	18.4	15.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%
End of Course Biology I (Benton High)	28.7	22	6.7%
End of Course Biology I (St. Joseph)	30.7	25	5.7%
End of Course Biology I (Missouri)	39.2	38.5	0.7%
End of Course English II (Benton High)	34.8	26.3	8.5%
End of Course English II (St. Joseph)	55.1	41.6	13.5%
End of Course English II (Missouri)	59	54.4	4.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	729	676	7.3%
African American	39	18	53.8%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	64	73	14.1%
Pacific Islander	1	5	400%
White	591	537	9.1%
Two or More Races	29	41	41.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.8%	44.4%	5.4%

Schools Near Benton High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)	MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)		MAP Algebra I (2024)	MAP Biology I (2024)	MAP English II (2024)	MAP Algebra II (2024)	MAP Government (2024)	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 (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	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Benton High	Public	9-12	5655 S Fourth	Saint Joseph	64504	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4030	702	49	14.2	36.9%	521 (74.2%)	18 (2.6%)	104 (14.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.0%)	49 (7.0%)	24.6	285^th of 378 public high schools	24.6%		12.9	317^th of 352 public high schools	9.9%	32					14.4	25.2		3.5	27.7	$12,597	$514	$12,083
Central High	Public	9-12	2602 Edmond	Saint Joseph	64501	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4080	1,720	110	15.5	35.8%	1,093 (63.5%)	131 (7.6%)	235 (13.7%)	51 (3.0%)	5 (0.3%)	41 (2.4%)	164 (9.5%)	34.6	236^th of 378 public high schools	37.6%		36.5	213^th of 352 public high schools	39.5%	23					17.8	24.6	42.4	77.0	36.4	$10,698	$355	$10,343
Hillyard Technical Center	Public	9-12	3434 Faraon	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4170	0	22	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Western Recept/Diag Corr Centr	Public	7-12	3401 Faraon St	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(816) 387-2158	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Western Region Treatment Centr	Public	7-12	3401 Faraon St	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(816) 387-2158	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lafayette High	Public	9-12	412 Highland Ave	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4220	680	50	13.4	100.0%	441 (64.9%)	57 (8.4%)	80 (11.8%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.6%)	81 (11.9%)	15.6	325^th of 378 public high schools	14.0%		13	315^th of 352 public high schools	10.5%	10					9.7	11.6	36.3			$12,914	$781	$12,133
Mid-Buchanan Senior High	Public	7-12	3221 SE State Rte H	Faucett	64448	Buchanan County	Mid-Buchanan County R-V	No	No	No	No	(816) 238-1646	398	30	13.3	17.8%	382 (96.0%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)								(n/a)	52.3	52.7	38.0	38.8	35.6					$10,711	$322	$10,389
Riverbend Treatment Center	Public	6-12	5910 Mitchell Ave	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(816) 390-9801	20	5	4.0	85.0%	8 (40.0%)	9 (45.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (15.0%)								(n/a)
Dekalb Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	702 Main St	De Kalb	64440	Buchanan County	Buchanan County R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 685-3211	127	16	8.1	28.3%	125 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)								(n/a)					25.1					$15,539	$616	$14,924
North Platte High	Public	9-12	212 W Sixth St	Dearborn	64439	Platte County	North Platte County R-I	No	No	No	No	(816) 450-3344	199	17	11.6	22.6%	186 (93.5%)	4 (2.0%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)								(n/a)					41.1					$11,673	$569	$11,104

Benton High

Benton High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

St. Joseph:

What do you think?

Rank History for Benton High

Rank History for all students at Benton High

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Benton High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Benton High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Benton High

Rank History for White students at Benton High

Enrollment information for Benton High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Benton High

Student/Teacher Ratio Benton High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Benton High

Impact of COVID-19 on Benton High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Benton High

Benton High

Central High

Hillyard Technical Center

Western Recept/Diag Corr Centr

Western Region Treatment Centr

Lafayette High

Mid-Buchanan Senior High

Riverbend Treatment Center

Dekalb Junior-Senior High

North Platte High

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