NCES CCD 2024-25 76 schools AR

Best-Resourced Schools in Little Rock, AR

76 public K-12 schools in Little Rock from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

76
Schools
33,662
Students
41.8/100
Avg Resource Index
15.6:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

National city placement

Large, fragmented school market

According to NCES CCD 2024-25, Little Rock has more public-school enrollment than 97% of the 4,487 US cities in this directory. Little Rock is among the largest city school systems in this directory by enrollment, but its campuses are divided among 17 districts. That combination matters: citywide averages blend separate budgets, staffing policies, attendance boundaries, and program rules. For a family comparing schools here, the district column is as important as the city average; two nearby campuses may answer to different boards and draw on different F-33 funding pools.

A full K–12 ladder sits inside the city boundary

Little Rock's list includes 28 elementary, 10 middle, and 12 high-school campuses, plus 26 combined-grade records. The city average spans every major grade stage, so the ranked table is more informative when read within level than as one interchangeable queue.

Governance mix is central to a fair comparison

24 of 76 listed Little Rock campuses are reported as charters, so district-run and charter records occupy substantial shares of the same city view. They may follow different governance, enrollment, and program structures even when their mailing city matches. The 83-point gap between Ark. School for the Blind H.S. and Premier High School Online should be read within that context, not as a single-system league table. Check charter status and district affiliation before comparing two nearby schools, and verify current admissions rules with the operator.

City enrollment
Top 3%
School count
Top 2%
Resource Index average
54th percentile
Teacher staffing
47th percentile

Little Rock school enrollment varies 2371× across entities

Little Rock school enrollment ranges from 1 students (lowest) to 2,371 students (highest), a spread of 2,370 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing and program breadth can differ sharply at opposite ends of that enrollment range, so the city average should not be treated as a typical campus.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Little Rock reports 57.7% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Little Rock operates 17 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Little Rock student-teacher ratio is 15.6:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — citywide staffing is neither unusually lean nor unusually crowded by this measure

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Little Rock is typically wider than the Little Rock-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

24 of Little Rock's 76 listed schools are charters

32% of the city's listed public-school campuses are reported as charter schools in NCES CCD. Charter status identifies a different governance arrangement; it does not establish admissions availability, academic quality, or the share of city students enrolled in those campuses. Open each school record to compare enrollment and staffing directly.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Ark. School for the Blind H.S. 83
2. Driven Virtual Academy 77
3. Prodigy Preparatory Academy of Service 71
4. Ark. School for the Blind Elem 69
5. Ark Consolidated High School 65
6. Nichols Intermediate Academy 63
7. Premier High School of Little Rock 63
8. Fuller Middle School 62
9. School for the Deaf Schools 59
10. Lisa Academy Arkansas Hybrid School 58
11. Joe T. Robinson Middle School 57
12. Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas West Little Rock El 56
13. Lisa Academy Chenal 55
14. Little Rock West High School of Innovation 54
15. Lisa Academy High 54
16. Central High School 53
17. Pulaski Heights Middle School 51
18. Little Rock Hall Steam Magnet High School 50
19. Gibbs Magnet Elementary School 50
20. Carver Steam Magnet Elementary School 50
21. Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas West Little Rock 50
22. Don Roberts Elementary School 49
23. Chenal Elementary School 49
24. Lisa Academy 49
25. Ivy Hill Academy of Scholarship 49
26. Lawson Elementary School 49
27. Dunbar Magnet Middle School 48
28. Joe T. Robinson Elem. School 47
29. Wilbur D. Mills High School 46
30. Pulaski Heights Elem. School 46
31. Exalt Academy of Southwest Little Rock 45
32. Jefferson Elementary School 45
33. Western Hills Elem. School 45
34. Baker Interdistrict Elem. Sch. 44
35. Terry Elementary School 44
36. Pinnacle View Middle School 43
37. Parkway Elementary School 43
38. Friendship Academy Little Rock Elementary 43
39. Forest Heights Stem Academy 42
40. Mcdermott Elementary School 41
41. Joe T. Robinson High School 40
42. Williams Magnet Elem. School 40
43. Landmark Elementary School 40
44. Estem Elementary School 38
45. Cloverdale Middle School 38
46. Bates Elementary School 38
47. Forest Park Elementary School 38
48. Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School 38
49. Stephens Elementary 37
50. Estem Middle School 37

Showing top 50 of 76 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Little Rock

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Lisa Academy 73.2/100
  2. 2 Lisa Academy Arkansas Hybrid School 72.4/100
  3. 3 Bates Elementary School 70.5/100
  4. 4 Baker Interdistrict Elem. Sch. 70.1/100
  5. 5 Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas West Little Rock El 70.0/100

What do families ask about schools in Little Rock?

Which Little Rock school has the highest Resource Investment Index?

Ark. School for the Blind H.S. has the highest Resource Investment Index among the Little Rock schools in this federal-data comparison at 83/100. The index summarizes reported staffing, counseling, gifted-program, and attendance inputs; it is not an academic rating.

How many schools are in Little Rock, AR?

Little Rock has 76 public schools with a total enrollment of 33,662 students. 24 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 15.6:1.

Other Cities in Arkansas

Side-by-side: Compare any two schools or districts in Arkansas →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. The Resource Investment Index uses reported student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance; it is not an academic rating. Cities must include at least five schools to be listed. This public-data comparison is for informational purposes: verify current enrollment, attendance boundaries, and programs with the school district before acting. See the guide to understanding NCES data.