Cleveland County School Dist.

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Rison, Arkansas - 2 schools

An equity score of 66/100 ranks Cleveland County School Dist. #66 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,659 per pupil, Cleveland County School Dist. ranks #83 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

739
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$12,659
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cleveland County School Dist. operates 2 public schools serving 739 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Cleveland County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,659 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 23.0% local, 41.4% state, and 35.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 66/100, ranked #66 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 (6 AP courses district-wide), a 370.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.3% White, 21.3% African American, 3.1% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Rison Elementary School, enrolling 427 students (58% of the district's total enrollment).

Rison Elementary School accounts for 57.6% of all Cleveland County School Dist. student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Cleveland County School Dist. a distant remainder — means Cleveland County School Dist.-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.

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

Cleveland County School Dist. student-counselor ratio is 371:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Cleveland County School Dist. chronic absenteeism rate is 22.6% — 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 Cleveland County School Dist. is typically wider than the Cleveland County School Dist.-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

35.6%
Federal
41.4%
State
23.0%
Local

Funding Equity

66
Equity Score
66 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Cleveland County School Dist..

White 70.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
African American 21.3%
Asian 3.1%
Multiracial 2.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
370.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.6%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Cleveland County School Dist.

School Enrollment
Rison Elementary School
427
Rison High School
314

How Cleveland County School Dist. Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Fordyce School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Buffalo is. Central Sch. Dist. Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cotter School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Rose Bud School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Magnet Cove School Dist. Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Cleveland County School Dist.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Arkansas

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Springdale School District
22,745 students · 29 schools · $11,376/pupil
Compare vs Cleveland County School Dist. →
Little Rock School District
21,456 students · 40 schools · $14,597/pupil
Compare vs Cleveland County School Dist. →
Bentonville School District
18,674 students · 24 schools · $11,698/pupil
Compare vs Cleveland County School Dist. →
Rogers School District
15,964 students · 23 schools · $10,977/pupil
Compare vs Cleveland County School Dist. →
Fort Smith School District
14,291 students · 27 schools · $12,206/pupil
Compare vs Cleveland County School Dist. →

Compare Cleveland County School Dist.

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Springdale School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cleveland County School Dist.?

Cleveland County School Dist. has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 739 students.

How much does Cleveland County School Dist. spend per student?

Cleveland County School Dist. spends $12,659 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #66 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Cleveland County School Dist.?

Cleveland County School Dist. students are 70.3% White, 21.3% African American, 3.1% Asian, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cleveland County School Dist.?

Cleveland County School Dist. has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #66 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.