An equity score of 62/100 ranks Decatur School District #78 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,528 per pupil, Decatur School District ranks #120 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
619
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$12,528
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Decatur School District operates 3 public schools serving 619 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 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 Benton County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,528 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 32.5% local, 44.1% state, and 23.3% 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 62/100, ranked #78 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 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 316:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 30.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.6% Hispanic or Latino, 41.4% White, 5.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Decatur High School, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.
Its largest campus is Decatur Northside Elementary, enrolling 278 students (45% of the district's total enrollment).
Decatur Northside Elementary accounts for 44.9% of all Decatur School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Decatur 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.
Decatur School District reports 100.0% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. 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.
Decatur School District student-counselor ratio is 316:1 — 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 Decatur School District is typically wider than the Decatur School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Decatur School District chronic absenteeism rate is 30.2% — 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.
Decatur School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 619 students.
How much does Decatur School District spend per student?
Decatur School District spends $12,528 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #78 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Decatur School District?
Decatur School District students are 42.6% Hispanic or Latino, 41.4% White, 5.6% Asian, 1.4% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Decatur School District?
Decatur School District has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #78 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.