An equity score of 79/100 ranks Bearden School District #15 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,611 per pupil, Bearden School District ranks #46 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
476
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$14,611
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Bearden School District operates 2 public schools serving 476 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Ouachita County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,611 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arkansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 23.6% local, 53.3% state, and 23.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 79/100, ranked #15 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 223:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 29.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 53.9% White, 35.2% African American, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Bearden High School, enrolling 227 students (51% of the district's total enrollment).
Bearden High School accounts for 47.7% of all Bearden School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Bearden School District a distant remainder — means Bearden School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Bearden School District reports 54.6% 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.
Bearden School District student-counselor ratio is 223:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Bearden School District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Bearden School District is typically wider than the Bearden School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Bearden School District has 2 schools, including 1 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 476 students.
How much does Bearden School District spend per student?
Bearden School District spends $14,611 per student. The district has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #15 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Bearden School District?
Bearden School District students are 53.9% White, 35.2% African American, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Bearden School District?
Bearden School District has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #15 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.