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Thomas Benton Elementary

Q: Is Thomas Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Benton Elementary ranks 675 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

675^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Thomas Benton Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, Missouri, serving 216 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Columbia 93 School District, which is ranked 154 out of 367 districts in the state.

Despite being part of the same district, Thomas Benton Elementary stands out from nearby schools like Russell Blvd. Elementary and John Ridgeway Elementary in several key areas. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 24.3% to 32.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the 24.3% rate at nearby schools. Additionally, Thomas Benton's test scores are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 14.4% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 40.5% in the district and 41.4% statewide.

The data also shows that Thomas Benton Elementary serves a predominantly low-income population, with an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 98.61% to 100% over the past few years. This is much higher than the nearby schools, which have rates ranging from 17.18% to 76.12%. Despite these challenges, the school's low ranking and performance metrics suggest that there may be opportunities for improvement through targeted interventions and support, such as addressing chronic absenteeism and providing additional academic resources.

232

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,423

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1410 Hinkson Ave
Columbia, MO 65201-5713

(573) 214-3610

District: Columbia 93

Students who attend Thomas Benton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jefferson Middle School
High:	David H. Hickman High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

41.4%

White:

37.9%

Two or more races:

14.7%

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Compare Thomas Benton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 7th percentile in 2015 → 25th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (25th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 21 pts below the Missouri average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg43%

Missouri avg42%

675^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Columbia 93

154^th of 367Columbia 93 among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	675 of 900	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.2	578 of 906	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	579 of 898	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.0	700 of 908	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	764 of 901	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	891 of 1052	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.8	947 of 1045	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.3	978 of 1032	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.8	784 of 865	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.4	989 of 1058	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	8.4	1025 of 1089	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.7	1059 of 1108	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.4	1043 of 1085	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	8.9	1033 of 1088	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	7.0	1031 of 1066	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.4	1008 of 1053	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	14.4	1016 of 1084	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	17.8	995 of 1080	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	21.6	956 of 1074	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	25.8	157 of 190	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	48.9	311 of 638	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.6	173 of 625	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.2	130 of 611	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	36.8	341 of 532	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.8	360 of 574	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.9	652 of 907	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.8	769 of 887	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	40.8	552 of 917	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	635 of 898	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile+26 vs school

White (2019)40th percentile+24 vs school

African American (2025)17th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Science51%+9 vs state

English Language Arts22%-21 vs state

Mathematics21%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas Benton Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)			MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Thomas Benton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1410 Hinkson Ave	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3610	232	20	11.7	100.0%	88 (37.9%)	96 (41.4%)	14 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (14.7%)	28.3	675^th of 900 public elementary schools	25.0%		38.2	578^th of 906 public elementary schools	36.2%	97	14.4	16.7	31.8	51.1	14.3	30.6		$16,423	$546	$15,877
Eugene Field Center	Public	1-5	1010 Rangeline St	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3750	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Locust St Expressive Arts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1208 Locust	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3530	283	23	12.4	45.6%	142 (50.2%)	57 (20.1%)	29 (10.2%)	18 (6.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (12.7%)	62.5	336^th of 900 public elementary schools	62.7%		73.2	214^th of 906 public elementary schools	76.4%	122	39.5	60.9	25.1		61.6	51.1	41.5	$14,632	$339	$14,293
John Ridgeway Elementary	Public	K-5	107 E Sexton	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3550	227	16	14.3	15.0%	157 (69.2%)	23 (10.1%)	7 (3.1%)	8 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (14.1%)	79.4	162^nd of 900 public elementary schools	82.0%		79.4	154^th of 906 public elementary schools	83.0%	8	56.7	49.9	70.5		54.0			$16,345	$582	$15,763
Ulysses S. Grant Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10 E Broadway	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	No	(573) 214-3520	296	22	13.7	31.1%	183 (61.8%)	54 (18.2%)	18 (6.1%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.8%)	66.4	296^th of 900 public elementary schools	67.1%		55.5	392^nd of 906 public elementary schools	56.7%	96	42.0	51.9	44.1	55.7	47.3	50.0	48.9	$15,645	$429	$15,216
Parkade Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Parkade Blvd	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3630	359	32	11.3	57.9%	156 (43.5%)	119 (33.1%)	26 (7.2%)	20 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.6%)	39.6	571^st of 900 public elementary schools	36.6%		34.4	616^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.0%	45	27.2	27.2	36.1	43.8	38.1	31.7	40.2	$17,473	$312	$17,161
Shepard Blvd. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2616 Shepard Blvd	Columbia	65201	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3660	538	46	11.7	64.7%	161 (29.9%)	178 (33.1%)	80 (14.9%)	31 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	10 (1.9%)	76 (14.1%)	14.4	780^th of 900 public elementary schools	13.3%		24.1	698^th of 906 public elementary schools	23.0%	82	15.6	20.6	20.1	21.4	12.6	27.5	18.2	$13,103	$257	$12,846
West Blvd. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	319 West Blvd North	Columbia	65203	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3670	327	31	10.5	100.0%	117 (35.8%)	124 (37.9%)	31 (9.5%)	15 (4.6%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.3%)	27	684^th of 900 public elementary schools	24.0%		46.5	491^st of 906 public elementary schools	45.8%	193	24.5	27.0	24.0	18.0	35.7	36.1	30.0	$16,279	$466	$15,813
Derby Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Derby Ridge Rd	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3270	323	33	9.9	61.9%	77 (23.8%)	153 (47.4%)	37 (11.5%)	17 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (12.1%)	13.2	789^th of 900 public elementary schools	12.3%		11.5	817^th of 906 public elementary schools	9.8%	28	16.8		3.5	13.7	22.9	15.6	29.7	$17,585	$635	$16,950
Blue Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 Woodland Dr	Columbia	65202	Boone County	Columbia 93	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 214-3580	453	37	12.1	72.8%	120 (26.5%)	162 (35.8%)	89 (19.6%)	14 (3.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (14.3%)	20.9	730^th of 900 public elementary schools	18.9%		13.6	794^th of 906 public elementary schools	12.4%	64	15.8		28.3	25.6	21.9	16.8	32.8	$15,518	$366	$15,152

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Benton Elementary

What district is Thomas Benton Elementary in?

Columbia 93

What schools do graduates of Thomas Benton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thomas Benton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jefferson Middle School
High : David H. Hickman High

Is Thomas Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Benton Elementary ranks 675^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Thomas Benton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 232 students attended Thomas Benton Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Benton Elementary?

Students at Thomas Benton Elementary are 41% African American, 38% White, 15% Two or more races, 6% 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 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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.