pursuing grants to fulfill their responsibility. The Ben-Gil Boosters, an organization formed to help raise funds for the construction of the new school, won $250,000 in April 2010 through Pepsi's Refresh Everything Campaign. The new school is adjacent to the district's middle school and high school in Gillespie. Its name has been changed to Ben-Gil Elementary School, to reflect both communities. At a special CUSD 7 Board of Education meeting on August 16, 2017, the board approved a $4 million settlement with the Union Pacific Railroad, legal owners of the assets of the former Superior Coal Company, in connection with the subsidence. Originally, the district had been awarded $9.85 million in 2014, but Union Pacific appealed that ruling. Geography Benld is located in southeastern Macoupin County at (39.093555, -89.804260), in the southwest corner of Cahokia Township. It is bordered to the south by the village of Sawyerville and to the northwest by the village of Mount Clare. Illinois Route 4 runs along the western border of Benld, leading north to Gillespie and south to Staunton. Route 4 leads north to Carlinville, the Macoupin county seat. Illinois Route 138 passes through the center of Benld as Central Street and South 8th Street, leading southeast to White City and Interstate 55. St. Louis is southwest of Benld. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Benld has a total area of , all land. A small unnamed runs through the center of Benld, flowing south to Cahokia Creek, a southwest-flowing direct tributary of the Mississippi River. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 1,541 people, 676 households, and 415 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,455.9 people per square mile (561.3 per km2). There were 772 housing units at an average density of 729.4 per square mile (281.2 per km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.25% White, 0.52% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.45% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. There were 676 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household