Benavides Steam Academy

Benavides Steam Academy is one of the mid-tier elementary schools in Aurora, Illinois, run under Aurora East USD 131, with 326 students on its rolls from grades K through 2.

Within Aurora East USD 131, which oversees 18 schools and 12,187 students, Benavides Steam Academy is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Benavides Steam Academy lists that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (86%). The remainder looks like 6% Black, 4% White. The wider county runs roughly 33% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Benavides Steam Academy reports 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.6:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 59% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Kane County (around 48%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Around the school, Kane County reports that median household earnings sit near $103,163, about 38% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Across Kane County's 167 public schools (combined enrollment of about 87,252 students), Benavides Steam Academy is one campus in the mix.

Nicholas A Hermes Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Benavides Steam Academy.

The school occupies a residential site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Benavides Steam Academy's enrollment has shrank 27% since 2018, when it stood at 446 (now 326). Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.5:1 in 2018 to 13.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.