Benton Grade Sch 5-8

Benton Grade Sch 5-8 is a moderately sized middle school in Benton, Illinois, overseen by Benton CCSD 47. The school educates 429 students in grades 5 through 8.

Benton CCSD 47 comprises 2 schools with combined enrollment of 1,000 students; Benton Grade Sch 5-8 is among them.

Looking at the student body, Benton Grade Sch 5-8 logs that 93% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 3% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Franklin County as a whole.

On the resource side, On paper, Benton Grade Sch 5-8 has 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.6:1. The state averages about 13.0:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 61% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, Benton Grade Sch 5-8 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 36.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 41.2%.

In the broader community, Franklin County reports that the typical household earns roughly $56,740 per year, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 13%. Benton Grade Sch 5-8 is one of 25 public schools in Franklin County (combined enrollment of about 5,523 students).

Nearest neighbor: Benton Grade Sch K-4, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Benton Grade Sch 5-8 ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 43.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked down 15%: 505 students in 2018 compared to 429 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 17.5:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.