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South Marshall Elementary School

Q: Is South Marshall Elementary School a good school?

South Marshall Elementary School ranks 385 th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

385^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 685 Kentucky Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of Kentucky elementary schools

Summary

South Marshall Elementary School is a public elementary school in Benton, Kentucky, serving 264 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Marshall County School District, which is ranked 84 out of 157 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Marshall Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 188th out of 698 Kentucky elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 652nd out of 694 in 2016-2017. Its current ranking for 2024-2025 is 385th out of 685 schools, with a 2-star rating. The school has performed better with female students and low-income students compared to male and white students. In 2024-2025, South Marshall outperformed the Marshall County and Kentucky averages in 3rd grade Mathematics, but underperformed in other subjects and grade levels.

Compared to nearby schools like Central Elementary, South Marshall Elementary has generally lagged behind in Reading and other subject areas, despite its strengths in 3rd grade Mathematics. The school also faces challenges with a high chronic absenteeism rate, which has increased from 11.8% in 2022-2023 to 25.0% in 2024-2025, higher than the state average. Despite these challenges, South Marshall Elementary has demonstrated the ability to support its high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, ranking 22nd out of 670 Kentucky elementary schools for this subgroup in 2022-2023.

241

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,660

Per pupil spending ?

72.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

155 Sid Darnell Road
Benton, KY 42025

(270) 527-1581

District: Marshall County

Students who attend South Marshall Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Marshall County High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.0%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Hispanic:

2.1%

See top rated Kentucky elementary schools

Compare South Marshall Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

!Social Studies scores 12 pts below the Kentucky average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg47%

Kentucky avg44%

385^th of 685

Kentucky public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From top 27% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kentucky Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Marshall County

84^th of 157Marshall County among Kentucky districts

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	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	44.4	385 of 685	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.0	205 of 685	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	206 of 687	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	41.4	393 of 684	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.7	392 of 517	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.6	578 of 700	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.8	607 of 691	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	10.9	652 of 694	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	39.1	456 of 690	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	67.7	188 of 698	73.1%	★★★★☆
2014	67.2	199 of 705	71.8%	★★★★☆
2013	75.1	125 of 719	82.6%	★★★★☆
2012	48.6	371 of 713	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.9	281 of 688	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	78.8	101 of 683	85.2%	★★★★☆
2009	77.5	116 of 658	82.4%	★★★★☆
2008	85.1	59 of 651	90.9%	★★★★★
2007	76.1	125 of 638	80.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	52.8	293 of 648	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	288 of 644	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.1	201 of 639	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.1	318 of 641	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.2	513 of 671	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	575 of 663	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	298 of 672	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.7	126 of 665	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	91.0	22 of 670	96.7%	★★★★★
2022	55.4	241 of 667	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	17.2	603 of 664	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.1	569 of 631	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	36.3	432 of 653	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	72.2	129 of 652	80.2%	★★★★☆
2023	65.2	173 of 652	73.5%	★★★★☆
2022	43.1	366 of 657	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.1	590 of 676	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	598 of 665	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	81 of 306	73.5%	★★★★☆
2024	28.9	219 of 279	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.8	561 of 661	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kentucky percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	419 of 659	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	242 of 659	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	227 of 658	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	36.1	419 of 656	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.0	509 of 592	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	590 of 593	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2025)74th percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+11 vs school

White (2025)36th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2025)34th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Kentucky (2024-2025) ?

Editing and Mechanics79%+32 vs state

Mathematics45%~ state avg

Reading42%-7 vs state

Writing34%-4 vs state

Social Studies26%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Marshall Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KSA Mathematics (2025)				KSA Reading (2025)				KSA Science (2025)	KSA Writing (2025)	KSA Social Studies (2025)	KSA Editing and Mechanics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	KSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	KSA Mathematics 4th Grade	KSA Mathematics 5th Grade	KSA Mathematics 6th Grade	KSA Reading 3rd Grade	KSA Reading 4th Grade	KSA Reading 5th Grade	KSA Reading 6th Grade	KSA Science 4th Grade	KSA Writing 5th Grade	KSA Social Studies 5th Grade	KSA Editing and Mechanics 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
South Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	155 Sid Darnell Road	Benton	42025	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 527-1581	241	20	12.0	72.6%	229 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	44.4	385^th of 685 public elementary schools	43.8%		66	205^th of 685 public elementary schools	70.1%	180	68.0	27.0	39.0		41.0	45.0	39.0			34.0	26.0	79.0	$19,660	$1,430	$643	$2,073	$14,637	$3,420	$18,057
Benton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	208 W 11th St	Benton	42025	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 527-3373	528	33	15.9	62.3%	478 (90.5%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (4.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.6%)	61.5	241^st of 685 public elementary schools	64.8%		55.3	290^th of 685 public elementary schools	57.7%	49	51.0	63.0	40.0		48.0	59.0	52.0		43.0	32.0	49.0	56.0	$18,264	$829	$586	$1,416	$11,449	$3,011	$14,460
Jonathan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9207 US Hwy 68 E	Benton	42025	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 354-6462	241	17	14.1	78.4%	209 (86.7%)	2 (0.8%)	18 (7.5%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	34	470^th of 685 public elementary schools	31.4%		11.7	620^th of 685 public elementary schools	9.5%	150	69.0				36.0	38.0	39.0			34.0	25.0	27.0	$18,701	$1,090	$636	$1,726	$13,523	$3,309	$16,832
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	115 Jim Goheen Drive	Benton	42025	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 527-0796	480	31	15.4	50.8%	449 (93.5%)	5 (1.0%)	12 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	71.9	158^th of 685 public elementary schools	76.9%		75.6	118^th of 685 public elementary schools	82.8%	40	56.0	68.0	44.0		45.0	64.0	53.0		54.0	58.0	45.0	62.0	$16,372	$462	$634	$1,100	$10,833	$2,915	$13,748
North Calloway Elementary School	Public	K-5	2928 Brinn Rd	Murray	42071	Calloway County	Calloway County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 762-7335	596	41	14.6	63.8%	460 (77.2%)	24 (4.0%)	67 (11.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.0%)	73.3	152^nd of 685 public elementary schools	77.8%		71.1	157^th of 685 public elementary schools	77.1%	5	56.0	71.0	51.0		56.0	66.0	58.0		63.0	42.0	45.0	49.0	$14,547	$1,670	$710	$2,381	$9,025	$2,346	$11,371
East Calloway Elementary School	Public	K-5	1169 Pottertown Rd	Murray	42071	Calloway County	Calloway County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 762-7325	310	22	14.3	65.5%	268 (86.5%)	6 (1.9%)	28 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	60.3	248^th of 685 public elementary schools	63.8%		55.4	288^th of 685 public elementary schools	58.0%	40	51.0	39.0	41.0		47.0	43.0	63.0		37.0	75.0	43.0	69.0	$16,555	$1,496	$779	$2,273	$10,619	$2,564	$13,184
Murray Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	111 Broach Ave	Murray	42071	Calloway County	Murray Independent	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 753-5022	589	41	14.5	48.2%	442 (75.0%)	31 (5.3%)	44 (7.5%)	14 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (9.3%)								(n/a)	72.0				77.0								$28,109	$1,581	$529	$2,110	$19,205	$3,050	$22,254
Symsonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	11730 State Route 131	Symsonia	42082	Graves County	Graves County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 674-4860	370	26	13.9	56.5%	317 (85.7%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.6%)	86.4	62^nd of 685 public elementary schools	90.9%		80.9	88^th of 685 public elementary schools	87.2%	26	52.0	61.0	58.0	69.0	67.0	61.0	65.0	73.0	52.0	77.0	60.0	81.0	$13,813	$860	$857	$1,717	$10,220	$1,876	$12,097
Farmington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7730 State Rt 121 S	Mayfield	42066	Graves County	Graves County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 328-4830	288	21	13.4	61.1%	254 (88.2%)	3 (1.0%)	19 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.8%)	94.9	13^th of 685 public elementary schools	98.1%		95.7	7^th of 685 public elementary schools	99.0%	6			68.0	84.0						62.0	74.0	79.0	$13,019	$911	$835	$1,746	$10,576	$697	$11,273
Sharpe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8400 US Hwy 68 W	Benton	42025	Marshall County	Marshall County	No	No	No	Yes	(270) 898-2852	276	22	12.5	54.7%	250 (90.6%)	3 (1.1%)	11 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	58.9	264^th of 685 public elementary schools	61.5%		44.5	374^th of 685 public elementary schools	45.4%	110	53.0	66.0	44.0		51.0	58.0	40.0			39.0	37.0	56.0	$16,922	$872	$732	$1,605	$12,065	$3,244	$15,279

Frequently Asked Questions about South Marshall Elementary School

What district is South Marshall Elementary School in?

Marshall County

What schools do graduates of South Marshall Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Marshall Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Marshall County High School

Is South Marshall Elementary School a good school?

South Marshall Elementary School ranks 385^th of 685 Kentucky elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Marshall Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended South Marshall Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of South Marshall Elementary School?

Students at South Marshall Elementary School are 95% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kentucky 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.