Benton School District

The Benton School District in Arkansas serves approximately 5,806 students across 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools (K-4), 1 middle school, 1 high school, and 1 alternative/junior high school, and is ranked 43rd out of 251 districts in the state with a 4-star rating.

The district presents a clear performance hierarchy, with top-tier schools like Caldwell Elementary School (ranked 15th in the state, 97th percentile) and Mt. View Elementary (ranked 28th, 94th percentile) earning 5-star ratings, while Benton High School also achieves top-5% status with a 94.2% graduation rate. In contrast, Ringgold Elementary School (ranked 315th, 36th percentile) and Angie Grant Elementary School (ranked 337th, 31st percentile) are the lowest-performing schools in the district, both with 2-star ratings. Benton Junior High School stands out as an advanced placement powerhouse, with proficiency rates in Geometry (94.3%) and Biology (97.4%) nearly 4 times the state average.

A key finding is the "spending paradox": Angie Grant Elementary, the lowest-ranked school, has the highest per-student spending at $13,884, while top-ranked Caldwell Elementary spends $10,825 per student, indicating that funding alone does not drive results. The district also shows a strong socioeconomic achievement gap, with the highest-performing elementary schools having the lowest free/reduced lunch rates (around 22-24%) and the lowest-performing having the highest rates (over 62%). Benton High School is a model of efficiency, achieving top rankings with the lowest student-teacher ratio (11:1) and moderate spending, while Benton Middle School serves as a melting pot for students from all feeder schools, resulting in solid but not exceptional performance.