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Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Q: Is Thomas Hart Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary ranks 527 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

527^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 41% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary is a public elementary school in Independence, Missouri, serving 397 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Independence 30 School District, which is ranked 238 out of 367 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Thomas Hart Benton Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Missouri elementary schools, the school performs exceptionally well in certain student subgroups. For example, in 2020-2021, the school ranked 13th out of 163 Missouri elementary schools for its African American student performance. However, the school's overall academic performance on state assessments is generally below the district and state averages across grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, Thomas Hart Benton Elementary has persistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 31.7% to 34.8% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Thomas Hart Benton Elementary to nearby schools in the Independence 30 School District, many have similar demographic profiles with high percentages of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and high chronic absenteeism rates. While the nearby schools generally perform below the state average, some, like Blackburn Elementary and Glendale Elementary, have higher rankings and better academic outcomes than Thomas Hart Benton Elementary. This suggests that there may be opportunities for Thomas Hart Benton Elementary to learn from the practices of the higher-performing schools in the district and collaborate to improve student outcomes across the area.

401

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,580

Per pupil spending ?

86.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

429 S Leslie
Independence, MO 64050-4032

(816) 521-5390

District: Independence 30

Students who attend Thomas Hart Benton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bingham Middle
	Bridger Middle
High:	William Chrisman High

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.4%

Hispanic:

26.7%

African American:

18.0%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Thomas Hart Benton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2015 → 41st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 29 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (37% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

District avg35%

Missouri avg42%

527^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Independence 30

238^th of 367Independence 30 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	44.0	527 of 900	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.1	540 of 906	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.5	466 of 898	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.2	587 of 908	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	583 of 901	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.4	711 of 1052	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.3	753 of 1045	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.4	894 of 1032	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.7	731 of 865	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.3	934 of 1058	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	29.4	859 of 1089	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.7	976 of 1108	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	21.4	944 of 1085	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.4	879 of 1088	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.5	810 of 1066	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	42.5	686 of 1053	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	64.8	311 of 1084	71.3%	★★★★☆
2007	69.0	247 of 1080	77.1%	★★★★☆
2006	60.8	363 of 1074	66.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2021	76.6	13 of 163	92.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2018	53.9	44 of 105	58.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	130 of 638	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	56.5	219 of 625	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.0	144 of 611	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	60.3	157 of 532	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	64.7	126 of 574	78.0%	★★★★☆
2019	49.5	442 of 907	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.9	439 of 887	50.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	27.6	506 of 668	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	599 of 675	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	50.4	333 of 691	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.4	515 of 917	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.3	699 of 898	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)92nd percentile+57 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)80th percentile+38 vs school

Hispanic (2018)58th percentile+30 vs school

White (2024)24th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Science44%~ state avg

English Language Arts36%-7 vs state

Mathematics35%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas Hart 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 Hart Benton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	429 S Leslie	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5390	401	27	14.6	86.8%	178 (44.4%)	72 (18.0%)	107 (26.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	41 (10.2%)	44	527^th of 900 public elementary schools	41.4%		42.1	540^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.4%	13	35.8	28.0	42.0	43.8	22.1		49.0	$12,580	$1,270	$11,309
Bryant Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	827 W College	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5400	193	16	11.7	76.2%	91 (47.2%)	22 (11.4%)	67 (34.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.7%)	20	734^th of 900 public elementary schools	18.4%		16	768^th of 906 public elementary schools	15.2%	34	21.5	20.6	22.7	22.7	23.8	23.8	33.2	$14,958	$1,339	$13,619
Santa Fe Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 S Windsor St	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5450	364	25	14.6	75.8%	192 (52.7%)	44 (12.1%)	80 (22.0%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.4%)	37 (10.2%)	42.1	542^nd of 900 public elementary schools	39.8%		45.6	502^nd of 906 public elementary schools	44.6%	40	35.2	35.1	31.7	43.1		38.8	34.0	$14,157	$1,153	$13,004
Glendale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2611 S Lee's Summit Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5510	417	30	13.7	75.3%	194 (46.5%)	91 (21.8%)	90 (21.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (8.2%)	54.5	413^th of 900 public elementary schools	54.1%		54.6	401^st of 906 public elementary schools	55.7%	12	53.5	44.6	30.1		41.9	39.9	44.4	$12,728	$1,307	$11,421
Ott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1525 N Noland Rd	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5435	384	25	15.2	75.0%	210 (54.7%)	46 (12.0%)	92 (24.0%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.6%)	26 (6.8%)	40.1	564^th of 900 public elementary schools	37.3%		46.2	495^th of 906 public elementary schools	45.4%	69	28.3	32.2	38.9	45.2	31.3	32.2	38.9	$12,279	$1,078	$11,201
Procter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1403 W Linden Ave	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5440	221	16	13.4	85.5%	98 (44.3%)	35 (15.8%)	62 (28.1%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.7%)	17 (7.7%)	36.2	604^th of 900 public elementary schools	32.9%		20.3	731^st of 906 public elementary schools	19.3%	127	19.4	41.6	35.4		20.0	42.8		$14,107	$1,190	$12,918
Blackburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17302 E R D Mize Rd	Independence	64057	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5395	363	27	13.6	45.2%	206 (56.7%)	59 (16.3%)	50 (13.8%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	42 (11.6%)	53.9	423^rd of 900 public elementary schools	53.0%		57	379^th of 906 public elementary schools	58.2%	44	45.8	34.3	44.2	36.5	45.8	47.6	42.2	$13,040	$1,098	$11,942
Abraham Mallinson Elementary	Public	2-5	709 North Forest Ave	Sugar Creek	64054	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5530	282	20	14.2	84.8%	119 (42.2%)	49 (17.4%)	86 (30.5%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.5%)	16.8	759^th of 900 public elementary schools	15.7%		13.4	798^th of 906 public elementary schools	11.9%	39	16.0	26.4	14.8	23.0	12.8	26.5	26.7	$14,659	$2,866	$11,793
Randall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	509 Jennings Rd	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5445	284	22	12.6	85.2%	109 (38.4%)	64 (22.5%)	70 (24.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	33 (11.6%)	34.5	622^nd of 900 public elementary schools	30.9%		16.8	762^nd of 906 public elementary schools	15.9%	140	21.6	15.9	31.9	47.6	28.4	18.5	47.7	$15,241	$1,311	$13,930
Three Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11801 E 32nd St S	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5470	328	23	14.0	84.5%	115 (35.1%)	46 (14.0%)	126 (38.4%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	33 (10.1%)	29.3	667^th of 900 public elementary schools	25.9%		39	569^th of 906 public elementary schools	37.2%	98	27.6	49.0	17.1	19.2	28.0			$13,341	$1,231	$12,110

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Hart Benton Elementary

Is Thomas Hart Benton Elementary a good school?

Thomas Hart Benton Elementary ranks 527^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Thomas Hart Benton Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Bingham Middle
Middle : Bridger Middle
High : William Chrisman High

What district is Thomas Hart Benton Elementary in?

Independence 30

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Hart Benton Elementary?

Students at Thomas Hart Benton Elementary are 44% White, 27% Hispanic, 18% African American, 10% Two or more races.

How many students attend Thomas Hart Benton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 401 students attended Thomas Hart Benton Elementary.

Rate Thomas Hart Benton Elementary!

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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.