Enrollment
200
High
DISTRICT 203 · STATE 738
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BENTON AREA SD·NCES 420339007646
Benton Area HS
400 Park St, Benton, PA 17814 · (570) 925-6651 · Columbia County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL200 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
19 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.3:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
197 students
DISTRICT 98% · STATE 75%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Benton Area SD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
PSSA + Keystone 2024-25 . % Proficient or AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
63.8%
PA avg 51.1% . +5.5pp since 2023
Math
51.1%
PA avg 43.0% . +16.8pp since 2023
What this means: On the PSSA + Keystone, Pennsylvania's statewide test, about 64 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 51 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Pennsylvania schools, those numbers are about 51 and 43. Reading and writing scores are up about 6 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 17 points.
Source: PSSA + Keystone. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of PA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
54.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.4%
based on PA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+18.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 54% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 35% typical for Pennsylvania schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 19 points, placing it in Pennsylvania's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
About Benton Area HS
Benton Area HS is one of the minimally staffed secondary schools in Benton, Pennsylvania, operated by Benton Area SD, with 200 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 738 students per school, that is 73% below typical.
Benton Area SD runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 608 students. Benton Area HS is one of those campuses.
For racial and ethnic makeup, Benton Area HS reports that the student body is overwhelmingly White (96%). Other groups include 3% Hispanic.
On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.8:1, putting Benton Area HS tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 99% of students at Benton Area HS qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Columbia County (around 56%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.
With demographic context factored in, Benton Area HS sits in the top 10% of Pennsylvania schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 35.4%; actual is 54.3%, +18.9 points clear of the demographic baseline.
Around the school, census data for Columbia County shows median household income runs about $64,644, 27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Columbia County runs 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,501 students), of which Benton Area HS is one.
Nearest neighbor: Benton Area MS, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Benton Area HS. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Benton Area HS ranks 4th on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 53.7%.
Benton Area HS operates from a small-town location.
In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.
Columbia County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
65,362
Census ACS
Median income
$64,644
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
27%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
20
7,501 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Benton Area SD
- L R Appleman El SchElementary · 308 students
- Benton Area MSMiddle · 100 students
Other schools in Benton
- L R Appleman El SchElementary · 308 students
- Benton Area MSMiddle · 100 students
Nearby schools
- Benton Area MS0.0 mi · 100
- L R Appleman El Sch0.2 mi · 308
- Northwest Area Primary Sch7.7 mi · 215
- Millville Area Elementary School9.1 mi · 291
- Millville Area JSHS9.2 mi · 234
- Northwest Area HS10.0 mi · 406
Frequently asked questions
About Benton Area HSHow large is Benton Area HS?
Benton Area HS enrolls approximately 200 students in grades 09-12.
Is Benton Area HS an elementary, middle, or high school?
Benton Area HS is a high school covering grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton Area HS?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Benton Area HS is approximately 10.5:1 (19 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Benton Area HS?
At Benton Area HS, the student body is approximately 96% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Black, 1% Two or more.
What district is Benton Area HS in?
Benton Area HS is part of Benton Area SD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.