Benteen Elementary School vs Mary Lin Elementary School

Benteen Elementary School and Mary Lin Elementary School sit 3.9 miles apart in Atlanta, Georgia, yet land in very different positions in the state rankings. Mary Lin Elementary School holds the fifth spot out of 2,268 Georgia schools, while Benteen Elementary School ranks 43rd — still a strong placement but 38 positions lower. Both schools earn distinction statewide, but Mary Lin's position near the very top of Georgia's elementary landscape sets it apart from nearly every school in the state.

The academic gap between the two schools is the sharpest measurable difference. Mary Lin Elementary School scores 9.6 out of 10 on academics compared to Benteen Elementary School's 6.9 — a 2.7-point delta that reflects meaningfully higher proficiency rates. Benteen, however, flips the dynamic on growth: its 9.9 out of 10 growth score edges Mary Lin's 9.6, signaling that Benteen is accelerating student progress at an exceptional rate relative to where students start. For families weighing current proficiency against year-over-year gains, that distinction matters.

The two schools serve starkly different student populations. Benteen Elementary School enrolls 306 students with 85% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and maintains a 9.3:1 student-teacher ratio — the lowest of the two schools by a significant margin. Mary Lin Elementary School enrolls 509 students, with only 5% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and carries a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. Benteen's ratio means roughly five fewer students per teacher, which can translate to more individualized attention even within a higher-need population. The 80-point gap in free and reduced lunch eligibility reflects two schools serving fundamentally different socioeconomic communities within the same city.

One structural difference affects the youngest Atlanta families: Benteen Elementary School serves grades PK through 5, offering a prekindergarten option that Mary Lin Elementary School — which begins at kindergarten — does not. Families with a rising four-year-old have a practical reason to weigh Benteen first. Mary Lin's larger enrollment and near-perfect academic score make it a competitive draw at the kindergarten level and beyond, but the PK entry point at Benteen is a concrete program distinction that does not exist at Mary Lin.