Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School
Public elementary school in Independence, Missouri · Independence 30 School District · Grades Pre-K–5
Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School serves 401 students in grades Pre-K–5 in Independence (Jackson County). It is one of 29 schools in Independence 30 School District. By enrollment it is the 391st largest of 1,202 public elementary schools in Missouri (median 327 students). With 14.6 students per full-time teacher, it has more students per teacher than the typical Missouri elementary school (12.3).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 1,202 Missouri elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 27.38 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Elementary |
| Grades | Pre-K–5 |
| District | Independence 30 School District |
| County | Jackson County |
| Area type | Suburb, large |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 291548000707 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Missouri
| This school | Independence 30 | Missouri elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 401 | 14,272 | 327 |
| Students per teacher | 14.6 | 14.7 | 12.3 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 86.8% | 73.2% | 53.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 85% of Missouri elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School in context
Size
Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School is the 5th largest of Independence 30 School District's 20 elementary schools; its 401 students are 2.8% of district enrollment. The 8 nearest elementary schools are a median 1.5 miles away and have a median of 324 students, so Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 4 with 74 students, and its smallest is pre-K with 20, against an average of 57 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 59 in kindergarten and 57 in grade 5. It also enrolls 20 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
White students are the largest group, at 44.4% of enrollment, about the same share as across Independence 30 (45.5%). Hispanic students are next, at 26.7%. Students from 5 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
86.8% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 73.2% across Independence 30 and a median of 53.6% for Missouri elementary schools. 45.1% are directly certified for free meals, meaning their families take part in programs such as SNAP or TANF, so no application was needed. Families apply for free or reduced-price meals, and eligibility depends on household income.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School has 27.38 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 14.6 students per teacher. At the median Missouri elementary school ratio of 12.3, a school with 401 students would have about 32.6 teachers, so Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School has 5.2 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Missouri elementary schools (12.3).
Location
NCES classifies its location as suburb, large, which means it is in an urbanized area of 250,000 people or more, outside its principal city. The nearest other elementary school is Bryant Elementary School, 1.3 miles away in the same district. There are 26 elementary schools within 5 miles and 84 within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 44.4% |
| Hispanic | 26.7% |
| Black | 18% |
| Two or more races | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
47.9% of students are girls and 52.1% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 20 |
| Kindergarten | 59 |
| Grade 1 | 67 |
| Grade 2 | 66 |
| Grade 3 | 58 |
| Grade 4 | 74 |
| Grade 5 | 57 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
429 S Leslie, Independence, MO 64050
Phone: (816)521-5390
Website: isdschools.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant Elementary School | Independence 30 | 1.3 mi | 193 | 11.8 | 76.2% |
| Santa Fe Trail Elementary School | Independence 30 | 1.3 mi | 364 | 14.6 | 75.8% |
| Glendale Elementary School | Independence 30 | 1.4 mi | 417 | 13.7 | 75.3% |
| Ott Elementary School | Independence 30 | 1.5 mi | 384 | 15.3 | 75% |
| Procter Elementary School | Independence 30 | 1.5 mi | 221 | 13.5 | 85.5% |
| Blackburn Elementary School | Independence 30 | 2.0 mi | 363 | 13.7 | 45.2% |
| Abraham Mallinson Elementary School | Independence 30 | 2.4 mi | 282 | 14.3 | 84.8% |
| Randall Elementary School | Independence 30 | 2.5 mi | 284 | 12.7 | 85.2% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.