COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 2 public schools serving 728 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 698 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Baxter County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,387 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 24.7% local, 54.2% state, and 21.1% 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 $62,690 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 57/100, ranked #96 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 349:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 20.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.7% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American across the district's schools.
Amanda Gist Elementary School accounts for 53.6% of all COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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.
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% 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 — including this one — 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.
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 349:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT is typically wider than the COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT-aggregate figure suggests.
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 20.3% — 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 COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT is typically wider than the COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT-aggregate figure suggests.
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 728 students.
How much does COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $11,387 per student. The district has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #96 in Arkansas.
What is the average teacher salary in COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT is $62,690 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Baxter County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT?
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 94.7% White, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT?
COTTER SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 57/100, ranking #96 out of 250 districts in Arkansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.