Joe Henderson Elementary

Joe Henderson Elementary is a middle-of-the-pack primary school in Benicia, California, run under Benicia Unified. The school educates 530 students in grades K through 5.

Across the 8 schools in Benicia Unified (4,343 students total), Joe Henderson Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Joe Henderson Elementary logs that the most-represented group is White (40%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 26% Hispanic, 17% multiracial, 13% Asian, 5% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Solano County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 26.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 22% of students at Joe Henderson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is south of Solano County's rate of about 60%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Joe Henderson Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 66.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 59.2%.

Across the wider county, Solano County reports that the typical household earns roughly $100,401 per year, roughly 29% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Solano County runs 110 public schools (combined enrollment of about 60,765 students), of which Joe Henderson Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Matthew Turner Elementary, roughly 0.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Joe Henderson Elementary. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Joe Henderson Elementary ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 52.8%.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 6%: 563 students in 2018 compared to 530 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share expanded from 13% to 26%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 28.1:1 in 2018 to 26.5:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.