Enrollment
401
Elementary
DISTRICT 316 · STATE 315
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·INDEPENDENCE 30·NCES 291548000707
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.
429 S LESLIE, INDEPENDENCE, MO 64050 · (816) 521-5390 · Jackson County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL401 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.7:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.0:1 · STATE 12.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
87%
348 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 20 | 5% |
| Kindergarten | 59 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 67 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 66 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 58 | 14% |
| Grade 4 | 74 | 18% |
| Grade 5 | 57 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (59) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (57).
Student demographics
69%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 69% · STATE 52% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
37.1%
MO avg 44.9% . +0.3pp since 2021
Math
36.5%
MO avg 43.8% . +8.9pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 37 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 37 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2021, while math scores are up about 9 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 13.4% | 23.7% | 39.0% | 23.7% |
| Math | 17.6% | 18.9% | 32.3% | 31.0% |
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
MAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 37.1% | 36.5% |
| 2023-24 | 37.2% | 36.1% |
| 2022-23 | 42.5% | 36.6% |
| 2021-22 | 36.8% | 27.6% |
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
37.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
27.4%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 27% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Missouri's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.'s state test result (37.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. this school | 401 | 86.8% | 37.8% |
| RANDALL ELEM. INDEPENDENCE | 284 | 85.2% | 27.3% |
| ABRAHAM MALLINSON ELEMENTARY SUGAR CREEK | 282 | 84.8% | 20.6% |
| HEBER HUNT ELEM. SEDALIA | 448 | 77.2% | 42.2% |
| GLENDALE ELEM. INDEPENDENCE | 417 | 75.3% | 42.6% |
| JOHN W. LUFF ELEM. INDEPENDENCE | 362 | 73.5% | 46.4% |
Matched among Missouri elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri | In Jackson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 37.8% | #588 of 1,002 | #51 of 126 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 36.5% | #639 of 1,019 ▼ 6 | #55 of 126 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 37.1% | #661 of 1,018 ▼ 3 | #55 of 126 ▲ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +4.6pp | #303 of 943 | #32 of 124 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 401 | #390 of 1,294 | #55 of 139 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.7:1 | #779 of 950 | #94 of 124 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 68.9% | #58 of 953 | #16 of 124 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 86.8% | #242 of 1,165 | #46 of 136 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -17.8% | #234 of 684 | #39 of 92 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
401
-21 (-5%) vs 2020
+1% since 1990-91, when it was 398
Student : Teacher
14.7:1
was 14.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 401 | 27.4 | 14.7:1 | 87% (348) |
| 2023-24 | 397 | 25.6 | 15.5:1 | 88% (351) |
| 2022-23 | 397 | 26.8 | 14.8:1 | 82% (326) |
| 2020-21 | 422 | 29 | 14.6:1 | 83% (351) |
| 2017-18 | 488 | 30 | 16.3:1 | 88% (427) |
| 2015-16 | 465 | 29 | 16.0:1 | 85% (395) |
| 2010-11 | 426 | 23 | 18.5:1 | 76% (323) |
| 2000-01 | 383 | 41 | 9.3:1 | 69% (266) |
| 1990-91 | 398 | 24 | 16.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM..
Since 2017-18: students down 18% (488 to 401); teachers down 9% (30 to 27.4).
About THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.
As a medium-sized elementary school, THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. serves students in INDEPENDENCE, Missouri. The school reports 401 students in pre-K through 5. The school's enrollment is 27% bigger than the 315 average for elementary schools in Missouri.
INDEPENDENCE 30 is responsible for 29 schools, THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. included, with 14,272 students in all.
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.'s enrollment has no majority group, and White students are the largest at 44%. The remaining students are 27% Hispanic, 18% Black, and 10% multiracial. Among people living in Jackson County, the White share is about 62%. By the diversity index, THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. comes in at 69%.
The school reports 27.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to about 14.7 students per teacher. For comparison, elementary schools in Missouri average 12.4:1. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility covers 87% of students. By comparison, the figure for public schools in Jackson County is 60%.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 27.4% for THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.. The school posts 37.8%, 10.4 points above the prediction.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Jackson County show that median household income is about $68,577, roughly 34% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 244 public schools in Jackson County, with a combined enrollment of about 105,714.
The nearest public school is HANTHORN EARLY EDUCATION, at about 1.1 miles. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. By average proficiency, THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. is 7th among 8 schools close by.
Its location is classified as Suburb: Large by the National Center for Education Statistics.
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. had 422 students in 2020-21 and 401 in 2024-25, a 5% decrease.
The discussion area below is open to posts about school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Jackson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
719,976
Census ACS
Median income
$68,577
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
244
105,714 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in INDEPENDENCE 30
- TRUMAN HIGHHigh · 1,720 students
- WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGHHigh · 1,417 students
- VAN HORN HIGHHigh · 1,067 students
- CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLEMiddle · 902 students
- BRIDGER MIDDLEMiddle · 744 students
- PIONEER RIDGE MIDDLEMiddle · 731 students
Other schools in INDEPENDENCE
- TRUMAN HIGHHigh · 1,720 students
- FORT OSAGE HIGHHigh · 1,545 students
- WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGHHigh · 1,417 students
- CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLEMiddle · 902 students
- BRIDGER MIDDLEMiddle · 744 students
- PIONEER RIDGE MIDDLEMiddle · 731 students
Nearby schools
- HANTHORN EARLY EDUCATION1.1 mi · 180
- WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGH1.2 mi · 1,417
- BRYANT ELEM.1.3 mi · 193
- SANTA FE TRAIL ELEM.1.3 mi · 364
- GLENDALE ELEM.1.4 mi · 417
- OTT ELEM.1.5 mi · 384
Frequently asked questions
About THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.How many students attend THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.?
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. enrolls approximately 401 students in grades PK-05.
What age range does THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. serve?
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. serves students from grade PK through grade 05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.?
The student-to-teacher ratio at THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. is approximately 14.7:1 (27 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.?
At THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM., the student body is approximately 44% White, 27% Hispanic, 18% Black, 10% Two or more.
Who oversees THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM.?
THOMAS HART BENTON ELEM. is overseen by INDEPENDENCE 30 in Jackson County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.