Is Benson Hill Elementary School a good school?

Benson Hill Elementary School ranks 726 th of 1168 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Benson Hill Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 476 students attended Benson Hill Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Benson Hill Elementary School?

Students at Benson Hill Elementary School are 40% Asian, 20% Hispanic, 15% White, 12% African American, 12% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Benson Hill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Benson Hill Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Nelsen Middle School High : Lindbergh Senior High School

Benson Hill Elementary School

Summary:

Benson Hill Elementary School is a public elementary school in Renton, Washington, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Renton School District. The school has a diverse student population, with a significant percentage of Asian and Hispanic students, but faces challenges in academic performance, with lower test scores and rankings compared to the district and state averages.

Benson Hill's academic performance, as measured by SBAC and WCAS test scores, is generally lower than the Renton School District and Washington state averages. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. Benson Hill's statewide ranking among Washington elementary schools has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 184 out of 1,106 schools in 2012-2013 to 833 out of 1,169 schools in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools in the Renton and Kent school districts, Benson Hill generally performs below average in academic achievement, with lower test scores and rankings. However, the school's diverse student population and relatively strong support for English Language Learners are notable strengths. Schools like Talbot Hill Elementary and Carriage Crest Elementary in the region have stronger academic performance and higher rankings, providing valuable context for understanding Benson Hill's performance and areas for potential improvement.

Detail:

Public K-5

18665 116th Ave SE
Renton, WA 98058-7198

(425) 204-3300

District: Renton School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
726^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,661

Students who attend Benson Hill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Nelsen Middle School
High:	Lindbergh Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.5

Number of students: 476

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

40.3%

Hispanic:

19.7%

White:

14.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.6%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Benson Hill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Benson Hill Elementary School ranks worse than 62.2% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 6^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Renton School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.78. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Benson Hill Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (40.3%), Hispanic (19.7%), White (14.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Benson Hill Elementary School is 18.5, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Renton School District! (See more...)

Compare Benson Hill Elementary School employs 25.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Benson Hill Elementary School is $18,661. 11 elementary schools in the Renton School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Benson Hill Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Benson Hill Elementary School 726^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Benson Hill Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Renton School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Renton School District 139^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Benson Hill Elementary School.

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Rank History for Benson Hill Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	67.69	280^th	1026	72.7%
2005	50.13	528^th	1031	48.8%
2006	64.34	355^th	1051	66.2%
2007	56.12	475^th	1069	55.6%
2008	54.08	519^th	1067	51.4%
2009	42.66	663^rd	1072	38.2%
2010	53.15	511^th	1088	53.0%
2011	59.83	434^th	1092	60.3%
2012	57.01	482^nd	1097	56.1%
2013	79.02	184^th	1106	83.4%
2015	40.95	652^nd	1067	38.9%
2016	42.88	623^rd	1053	40.8%
2017	44.97	595^th	1056	43.7%
2018	28.81	776^th	1054	26.4%
2019	33.38	793^rd	1130	29.8%
2021	29.18	775^th	1107	30.0%
2022	27.50	857^th	1169	26.7%
2023	29.71	833^rd	1169	28.7%
2024	36.78	726^th	1168	37.8%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	34.62	148^th	212	30.2%
2019	38.62	208^th	303	31.4%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	45.98	152^nd	333	54.4%
2019	44.35	117^th	248	52.8%
2022	57.14	55^th	213	74.2%
2023	62.15	66^th	254	74.0%
2024	56.22	116^th	320	63.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	22.80	530^th	637	16.8%
2019	20.73	503^rd	566	11.1%
2022	40.45	259^th	478	45.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	18.60	764^th	835	8.5%
2019	33.06	716^th	979	26.9%
2021	34.05	585^th	854	31.5%
2022	32.16	743^rd	1019	27.1%
2023	36.89	670^th	1013	33.9%
2024	34.87	710^th	1024	30.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	27.80	763^rd	1004	24.0%
2019	40.44	677^th	1068	36.6%
2021	30.07	694^th	1008	31.2%
2022	26.32	831^st	1100	24.5%
2023	27.53	824^th	1094	24.7%
2024	39.58	660^th	1093	39.6%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	31.40	708^th	999	29.1%
2019	25.90	845^th	1075	21.4%
2021	28.22	726^th	1025	29.2%
2022	29.93	787^th	1113	29.3%
2023	30.29	781^st	1099	28.9%
2024	33.69	735^th	1099	33.1%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	20.81	146^th	169	13.6%
2019	36.05	137^th	201	31.8%
2021	14.41	114^th	131	13.0%
2022	21.72	155^th	187	17.1%
2023	14.34	155^th	170	8.8%
2024	25.61	121^st	163	25.8%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2019	67.05	26^th	110	76.4%
2022	52.05	45^th	108	58.3%
2023	50.19	30^th	66	54.5%
2024	52.53	31^st	71	56.3%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	14.20	517^th	540	4.3%
2019	39.77	435^th	697	37.6%
2022	28.77	526^th	694	24.2%
2023	56.66	251^st	633	60.3%
2024	51.12	313^th	651	51.9%

See the entire list of Best Washington Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Benson Hill Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	19.57	718^th	833	13.8%
2019	22.35	865^th	1027	15.8%
2021	18.99	810^th	943	14.1%
2022	44.96	561^st	1031	45.6%
2024	22.44	838^th	1009	16.9%

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

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, April 21, 2017

If you have an energetic child or if any of teachers won't like your child, you will have a lot of troubles and bunch of notes coming home daily. I and my wife adopted child from overseas and from day 1 we've told that he needs to be in special ed class. When we asked why, she said he was ignoring teachers. The Oksana "ELL teacher" was following us for 3 years now trying to get our son in S.E. Children figured out that our son gets in trouble easily, setting him up on purpose and making fun of him. Academically, I would agree it's good school, but the way teachers treat children and their parents, that's nuts... last year we've home schooled our son and when he came back to school 2016-2017 school year, he started behaving a lot better, but still we keep hearing about special ed and what most interesting they told us that they will get him there even without our aproval. That made us to lean toward home schooling. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, May 19, 2016

Great teachers and a diverse student population! My son has been going to Benson Hill for 4 years and he has had a great experience. We are very happy with this school. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, May 18, 2013

This is a great school. Teachers are wonderful, push kids to excel, but in a non-threatening way. Caring, respectful to different culture, in a nutshell-good place for a child to grow. Love the school. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Benson Hill Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	397	23	51	12	7	n/a	n/a	490
1989	408	15	53	22	9	n/a	n/a	507
1990	415	13	40	20	5	n/a	n/a	493
1991	414	14	44	10	4	n/a	n/a	486
1992	385	18	52	14	4	n/a	n/a	473
1993	402	24	54	14	5	n/a	n/a	499
1994	388	27	61	14	12	n/a	n/a	502
1995	361	46	81	13	10	n/a	n/a	511
1996	361	46	81	13	10	n/a	n/a	511
1997	372	45	102	14	12	n/a	n/a	545
1998	342	60	104	13	7	n/a	n/a	526
1999	335	65	109	21	7	n/a	n/a	537
2000	340	50	107	22	3	n/a	n/a	522
2001	361	51	119	24	5	n/a	n/a	560
2002	324	54	111	26	5	n/a	n/a	520
2003	324	54	111	26	5	n/a	n/a	520
2004	289	45	133	33	5	n/a	n/a	505
2005	197	50	106	53	4	n/a	n/a	410
2006	270	81	121	57	0	n/a	n/a	529
2007	208	101	119	56	5	n/a	n/a	489
2008	214	114	139	62	4	n/a	n/a	533
2009	202	113	153	75	5	n/a	n/a	548
2010	198	119	147	60	3	n/a	n/a	527
2011	202	115	143	68	4	4	1	537
2012	199	109	167	69	4	7	19	574
2013	179	95	149	64	5	0	35	527
2014	158	94	144	63	5	5	50	519
2015	146	81	156	85	4	6	64	542
2016	130	68	178	90	3	8	77	554
2017	134	83	189	81	4	7	77	575
2018	116	65	191	89	2	7	71	541
2019	126	67	194	86	5	5	57	540
2020	120	77	209	91	3	7	52	559
2021	83	73	213	70	1	5	59	504
2022	67	58	182	75	1	5	55	443
2023	71	58	192	94	1	3	57	476

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 Benson Hill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	490	20.0	24.5	0
1989	507	21.0	24.1	n/a
1990	493	20.3	24.2	0
1991	486	21.1	23.0	n/a
1992	473	21.3	22.2	n/a
1993	499	19.8	25.2	n/a
1994	502	22.2	22.6	n/a
1995	511	22.2	23.0	n/a
1996	511	22.2	23.0	n/a
1997	545	23.5	23.2	n/a
1998	526	23.0	22.9	n/a
1999	537	23.9	22.5	n/a
2000	522	23.5	22.2	n/a
2001	560	25.4	22.0	n/a
2002	520	24.9	20.9	35.4
2003	520	24.9	20.9	35.4
2004	505	25.0	20.2	62.4
2005	410	24.8	16.5	27.8
2006	529	25.9	20.4	21.4
2007	489	25.1	19.5	40.9
2008	533	26.2	20.3	42
2009	548	26.2	20.9	43.4
2010	527	27.2	19.3	52.2
2011	537	28.0	19.1	50.8
2012	574	26.9	21.3	50.5
2013	527	26.4	19.9	50.5
2014	519	n/a	n/a	48.9
2015	542	36.0	15.0	52.4
2016	554	31.0	17.8	50.2
2017	575	30.2	19.0	47.7
2018	541	29.7	18.1	44.9
2019	540	29.9	18.0	45.6
2020	559	31.7	17.6	44.5
2021	504	32.3	15.5	43.1
2022	443	28.9	15.2	44.9
2023	476	25.7	18.5	46.6

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 Benson Hill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	490	20.0	24.5	0
1989	507	21.0	24.1	n/a
1990	493	20.3	24.2	0
1991	486	21.1	23.0	n/a
1992	473	21.3	22.2	n/a
1993	499	19.8	25.2	n/a
1994	502	22.2	22.6	n/a
1995	511	22.2	23.0	n/a
1996	511	22.2	23.0	n/a
1997	545	23.5	23.2	n/a
1998	526	23.0	22.9	n/a
1999	537	23.9	22.5	n/a
2000	522	23.5	22.2	n/a
2001	560	25.4	22.0	n/a
2002	520	24.9	20.9	35.4
2003	520	24.9	20.9	35.4
2004	505	25.0	20.2	62.4
2005	410	24.8	16.5	27.8
2006	529	25.9	20.4	21.4
2007	489	25.1	19.5	40.9
2008	533	26.2	20.3	42
2009	548	26.2	20.9	43.4
2010	527	27.2	19.3	52.2
2011	537	28.0	19.1	50.8
2012	574	26.9	21.3	50.5
2013	527	26.4	19.9	50.5
2014	519	n/a	n/a	48.9
2015	542	36.0	15.0	52.4
2016	554	31.0	17.8	50.2
2017	575	30.2	19.0	47.7
2018	541	29.7	18.1	44.9
2019	540	29.9	18.0	45.6
2020	559	31.7	17.6	44.5
2021	504	32.3	15.5	43.1
2022	443	28.9	15.2	44.9
2023	476	25.7	18.5	46.6

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.

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