James M. Bennett High

James M. Bennett High is a senior high of average-sized scale in Salisbury, Maryland, overseen by Wicomico County Public Schools, teacheing 1,474 students in grades 9 through 12. That puts it 24% larger than the typical public school in Maryland, which averages around 1,185 students.

Across the 25 schools in Wicomico County Public Schools (15,582 students total), James M. Bennett High accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, James M. Bennett High reports that 37% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder comes out to 35% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 4% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 27% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 95 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.5:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Around 54% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

After controlling for student poverty, On a poverty-adjusted basis, James M. Bennett High sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 42.1%; actual is 27.9%, a gap of -14.2 points.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Wicomico County indicate median household earnings sit near $76,210, roughly 30% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. James M. Bennett High is one of 25 public schools in Wicomico County (combined enrollment of about 15,582 students).

Nearest neighbor: Prince Street School, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts James M. Bennett High at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 28.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a city-core area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 4%: 1,542 students in 2018 compared to 1,474 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 44% to 35%.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.