Can I use Benton County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Benton County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Benton County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Benton County?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Benton County Schools & Education

Name: Benton County, Iowa Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Benton County, Iowa

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

49/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

90.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 92.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,158

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,591

School Score

49/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 61/100

State Score Position

#86

of 99 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Benton County

Measured School Summary

Benton County performs at an average level with a school score of 49/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.3%.

Funding Context

At $7,158 per pupil, Benton County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 20% below the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Benton County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

12 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

49/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #86 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.

Completion

90.3%

2.0 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,158

$433 below the state average

School coverage

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Benton County has 12 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Benton County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Benton County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#86

of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 12 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Benton Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,682 students

Elementary 2Middle 2High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,555 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Belle Plaine Comm School District

Elementary and high visible

479 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Benton Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Benton County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Benton County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Benton County, Iowa

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Broad Network of Rural Schools

Benton County features 12 public schools across three districts, supporting a large student population of 4,020. The infrastructure is diverse, including six elementary schools and three high schools.

Benton and Vinton-Shellsburg Districts

The Benton and Vinton-Shellsburg districts are the heavy hitters here, serving 1,682 and 1,555 students respectively. All 12 schools are traditional public institutions, as the county currently hosts no charter schools.

The Heart of Rural Iowa Education

Nearly all schools operate in rural settings, with an average enrollment of 335 students. Tilford Elementary is the largest school with 578 students, while the county also offers several smaller middle and high school environments.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Benton County

Reported Enrollment

4,020

12 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6

Middle3

High3

Other0

3 School Districts in Benton County

Benton Comm School District

5 schools

1,682 students

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

4 schools

1,555 students

Belle Plaine Comm School District

2 schools

479 students

12 Public Schools in Benton County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Benton County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Tilford Elementary School	Record	Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District	Vinton, 52349Rural: Fringe	PK–4	Primary	578
Benton Community Senior High School	Record	Benton Comm School District	Van Horne, 52346Rural: Distant	9–12	High	496
Vinton-Shellsburg High School	Record	Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District	Vinton, 52349Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	425
Atkins Elementary School	Record	Benton Comm School District	Atkins, 52206Rural: Fringe	PK–3	Primary	406
Norway Elementary School	Record	Benton Comm School District	Norway, 52318Rural: Distant	4–6	Middle	338
Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School	Record	Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District	Vinton, 52349Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	318
Center Point-Urbana Intermediate School	Record	Center Point-Urbana Comm School District	Center Point, 52213Rural: Distant	3–5	Primary	304
Longfellow Elementary School	Record	Belle Plaine Comm School District	Belle Plaine, 52208Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	286
Benton Community Middle School	Record	Benton Comm School District	Van Horne, 52346Rural: Distant	7–8	Middle	235
Shellsburg Elementary School	Record	Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District	Shellsburg, 52332Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	234
Keystone Elementary School	Record	Benton Comm School District	Keystone, 52249Rural: Distant	PK–3	Primary	207
Belle Plaine Jr/Sr High School	Record	Belle Plaine Comm School District	Belle Plaine, 52208Rural: Remote	7–12	High	193

Tilford Elementary School

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

Vinton, 52349 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–4Primary578 students

Benton Community Senior High School

Benton Comm School District

Van Horne, 52346 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High496 students

Vinton-Shellsburg High School

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

Vinton, 52349 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High425 students

Atkins Elementary School

Benton Comm School District

Atkins, 52206 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–3Primary406 students

Norway Elementary School

Benton Comm School District

Norway, 52318 / Rural: Distant

Record4–6Middle338 students

Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

Vinton, 52349 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle318 students

Center Point-Urbana Intermediate School

Center Point-Urbana Comm School District

Center Point, 52213 / Rural: Distant

Record3–5Primary304 students

Longfellow Elementary School

Belle Plaine Comm School District

Belle Plaine, 52208 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary286 students

Benton Community Middle School

Benton Comm School District

Van Horne, 52346 / Rural: Distant

Record7–8Middle235 students

Shellsburg Elementary School

Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District

Shellsburg, 52332 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary234 students

Keystone Elementary School

Benton Comm School District

Keystone, 52249 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–3Primary207 students

Belle Plaine Jr/Sr High School

Belle Plaine Comm School District

Belle Plaine, 52208 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High193 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,158

State avg $7,591

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Benton County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Iowa counties have the highest graduation rates?

Dallas County (97.3%), Clay County (97.0%), and Davis County (97.0%) currently lead Iowa among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Iowa?

Across Iowa counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,591. The highest current county values are Kossuth County ($8,712), Cerro Gordo County ($8,682), and Franklin County ($8,627). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Benton County?

Benton County has a school score of 49/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Benton County?

The high school graduation rate in Benton County is 90.3%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Benton County spend per student?

Benton County spends $7,158 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Benton County, Iowa — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Benton County, Iowa?

What are the major school districts in Benton County, Iowa?

What is the school experience like in Benton County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Sioux County

Iowa

+0 pts

49/100

School score

Clinton County

Iowa

+1 pts

49/100

School score

Cedar County

Iowa

+1 pts

50/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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