Circle Benton Elementary

As an average-sized primary school in Benton, Kansas, Circle Benton Elementary educates 286 students from grades pre-K through 6, part of Circle.

Circle comprises 6 schools with combined enrollment of 2,091 students; Circle Benton Elementary is among them.

Looking at the student body, Circle Benton Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (85%); the rest is composed of 8% Hispanic, 4% Black, 2% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Butler County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Circle Benton Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 34% of students at Circle Benton Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Circle Benton Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 46.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 59.7%.

In the broader community, census data for Butler County shows the typical household earns roughly $81,610 per year, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. In all, Butler County runs 42 public schools (combined enrollment of about 18,052 students), of which Circle Benton Elementary is one.

Circle Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.7 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Circle Benton Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Circle Benton Elementary at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 52.2%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Circle Benton Elementary has ticked up 39%, going from 206 students in 2018 to 286 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 90% to 85% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 12.9:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.