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Benton Community Middle School

Q: Is Benton Community Middle School a good school?

Benton Community Middle School ranks 131 st of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

131^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 62% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Benton Community Middle School is a public middle school located in Van Horne, Iowa, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 212 students. The school is part of the Benton Community School District and has consistently ranked in the middle range of Iowa middle schools, typically between the 50th and 75th percentile, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Benton Community Middle School has demonstrated strong performance, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in ISASP tests compared to the state average. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 8th-grade students scored 89.8% proficient or better in English Language Arts, 75.9% in Mathematics, and 83.3% in Science, all exceeding the state averages. However, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.6% in 2020-2021 to 21.6% in 2023-2024, which is an area that the school should focus on improving.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Center Point-Urbana Middle School, Benton Community Middle School performs similarly in terms of test scores and other metrics. However, the school's relatively low spending per student ($9,661 in 2018-2019) compared to some higher-performing schools in other districts, such as Taft Middle School ($15,361 per student), may be a factor to consider in terms of resource allocation and potential areas for investment to support student success.

235

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,661

Per pupil spending ?

21.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 1st St
Van Horne, IA 52346-0070

(319) 228-8701

District: Benton Community School District

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.5%

Two or more races:

3.0%

African American:

2.6%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Benton Community Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 43rd percentile in 2023 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (80% vs 74% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 62nd (2025) from a 43rd-percentile low (2023)

✓Above the Iowa median (62nd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school80%

District avg80%

Iowa avg74%

131^st of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	131 of 344	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.0	185 of 337	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	189 of 334	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.9	173 of 337	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.6	176 of 324	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.0	167 of 342	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.8	151 of 318	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.0	119 of 327	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	63.2	121 of 343	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	66.3	111 of 349	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.0	103 of 337	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.6	131 of 350	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.4	128 of 349	63.3%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science83%+13 vs state

English Language Arts83%+5 vs state

Mathematics74%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Benton Community Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)					ISASP Mathematics (2025)					ISASP Science (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	16.8	21.7%	215 (91.5%)	6 (2.6%)	6 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	62.1	131^st of 344 public middle schools	61.9%		53	185^th of 337 public middle schools	45.1%	54				77.0	89.8				73.0	75.9		83.3	$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	331	23	14.4	52.3%	301 (90.9%)	2 (0.6%)	16 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)	71.1	77^th of 344 public middle schools	77.6%		68.1	101^st of 337 public middle schools	70.0%	24			74.1	75.4	90.7			80.6	87.7	86.0		87.9	$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	336	24	14.1	25.3%	302 (89.9%)	5 (1.5%)	15 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.6%)								(n/a)	87.3	67.0	74.8			86.3	66.1	82.6			67.0		$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	194	16	12.1	27.8%	180 (92.8%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.1%)	72.8	66^th of 344 public middle schools	80.8%					(n/a)			79.4	95.2	88.1			70.6	81.0	88.1		88.1	$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	593	38	15.4	46.5%	395 (66.6%)	82 (13.8%)	38 (6.4%)	13 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (10.6%)	45	227^th of 344 public middle schools	34.0%		38.2	244^th of 337 public middle schools	27.6%	17			75.0	74.9	85.5			69.8	69.1	71.5		66.5	$15,361	$386	$14,975
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	290	23	12.5	19.0%	275 (94.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	81.4	27^th of 344 public middle schools	92.2%		77.6	47^th of 337 public middle schools	86.1%	20			86.2	87.5	91.7			86.2	81.7	88.1		88.1	$12,542	$448	$12,095

Frequently Asked Questions about Benton Community Middle School

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

How many students attend Benton Community Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended Benton Community Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Benton Community Middle School?

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

Is Benton Community Middle School a good school?

Benton Community Middle School ranks 131^st of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Benton Community Middle School in?

Benton Community School District

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Schools in Van Horne, IA

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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.