CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.

HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas — 2 schools

690
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$13,842
Per-Pupil Spending
Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. operates 2 public schools serving 690 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 688 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Garland County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,842 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 27.8% local, 50.7% state, and 21.5% 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 $49,385 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 61/100, ranked #79 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 (4 AP courses district-wide), a 509.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 36.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 71.0% White, 13.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American across the district's schools.

Cutter-Morning Star Elem. Sch. accounts for 51.9% of all CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.-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.

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

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.9% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. student-counselor ratio is 510:1 — 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

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. chronic absenteeism rate is 36.7% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

21.5%
Federal
50.7%
State
27.8%
Local

Funding Equity

61
Equity Score
79 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Garland County county, where this district is located.

$829
Studio/mo
$834
1 BR/mo
$1,090
2 BR/mo
$1,393
3 BR/mo
$1,670
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$49,385
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST..

White 71.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
African American 2.9%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 10.4%
Other 1.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
509.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.

School Enrollment
Cutter-Morning Star Elem. Sch.
357
Cutter-Morning Star High Sch.
331

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 · $12,773/pupil
Compare vs CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. →
LITTLE ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT
21,456 students · 40 schools · $15,987/pupil
Compare vs CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. →
BENTONVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT
18,674 students · 24 schools · $13,522/pupil
Compare vs CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. →
ROGERS SCHOOL DISTRICT
15,964 students · 23 schools · $12,254/pupil
Compare vs CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. →
FORT SMITH SCHOOL DISTRICT
14,291 students · 27 schools · $15,628/pupil
Compare vs CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. →

Compare CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. 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 CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.?

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 690 students.

How much does CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. spend per student?

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. spends $13,842 per student. The district has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #79 in Arkansas.

What is the average teacher salary in CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.?

The average teacher salary in CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. is $49,385 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Garland County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.?

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. students are 71.0% White, 13.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST.?

CUTTER-MORNING STAR SCH. DIST. has an equity score of 61/100, ranking #79 out of 250 districts in Arkansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.