Arkansas City operates 8 public schools serving 2,887 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,902 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cowley County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,425 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 12.1% local, 81.1% state, and 6.8% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $77,064 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 49/100, ranked #137 of 252 in Kansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 486.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 36.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.2% White, 34.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American across the district's schools.
Arkansas City High accounts for 30.5% of all Arkansas City student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Arkansas City-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Arkansas City school enrollment varies 7.3× across entities
Arkansas City school enrollment ranges from 122 students (lowest) to 885 students (highest), a spread of 763 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Arkansas City has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 66.3% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Arkansas City student-counselor ratio is 487:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Arkansas City chronic absenteeism rate is 36.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Arkansas City has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 6 other. Total enrollment is 2,887 students.
How much does Arkansas City spend per student?
Arkansas City spends $14,425 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #137 in Kansas.
What is the average teacher salary in Arkansas City?
The average teacher salary in Arkansas City is $77,064 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Arkansas City?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cowley County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Arkansas City?
Arkansas City students are 54.2% White, 34.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Arkansas City?
Arkansas City has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #137 out of 252 districts in Kansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.