Fort Smith School District
Public school district · Sebastian County · Arkansas · NCES district ID 0506330
Fort Smith School District spent $12,459 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 64% of the other Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,785). Its 26 schools enrolled 14,045 students in 2024-25; 43.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,857 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 89% (Arkansas: 89.9%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Arkansas's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Fort Smith ranks 4.
Where the money came from
$205,400,000 in revenue: 43.8% state, 35.9% local and 20.4% federal. Total spending including $12,311,000 of capital outlay was $198,219,000, or $13,870 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$89,927,000 44%
- Local$73,656,000 36%
- Federal$41,817,000 20%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 123 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
14,291 students in 2022-23, 14,060 students in 2023-24, 14,045 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 14,291 | 1002.8 | 14.3 |
| 2023-24 | 14,060 | 980.4 | 14.3 |
| 2024-25 | 14,045 | 998.0 | 14.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$53,202,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,723 per student
Fort Smith School District booked $53,202,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,003 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $53,052 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 90 in 100 Arkansas districts with a figure (state median $42,781, 205 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Arkansas teacher salary at $52,486 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $39,671,000 | 74.6% |
| Special education | $6,821,000 | 12.8% |
| Vocational | $2,951,000 | 5.5% |
| Other programs | $3,759,000 | 7.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,749 in 2018-19, $3,726 in 2019-20, $3,827 in 2020-21, $3,612 in 2021-22, $3,723 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Fort Smith School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 36% in math, against 39.9% in reading and 38.3% in math across Arkansas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Arkansas, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Arkansas | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 39% | 39.9% | 8,533 |
| Math | 36% | 38.3% | 8,561 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
89% of the 1,057 students in Fort Smith School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.9% across Arkansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Arkansas | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 89% | 89.9% |
| Students in the class | 1,057 | 35,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
18 elementary schools, 6,598 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Elementary School | 582 | 18.0 | 70.4% | Schoolwide program |
| John P. Woods Elementary School | 514 | 19.3 | 33.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Sunnymede Elementary School | 510 | 18.7 | 75.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Harry C. Morrison Elementary School | 493 | 19.1 | 79.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Elmer H. Cook Elementary School | 459 | 19.4 | 44.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Sutton Elementary School | 411 | 15.0 | 79.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Euper Lane Elementary School | 397 | 16.3 | 49.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Albert Pike Elementary School | 387 | 19.4 | 77.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Tilles Elementary School | 343 | 19.0 | 81.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Barling Elementary School | 316 | 17.7 | 58.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Spradling Elementary School | 307 | 18.3 | 80.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Cavanaugh Elementary School | 303 | 16.6 | 54.5% | Schoolwide program |
The other 6 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Elementary School | 299 | 18.9 | 82.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Beard Elementary School | 297 | 15.3 | 62.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Bonneville Elementary School | 287 | 19.1 | 55.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Ballman Elementary School | 286 | 18.8 | 51.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Raymond F. Orr Elementary School | 235 | 17.1 | 55.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Carnall Elementary School | 172 | 18.9 | 71.5% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 3,018 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey Junior High School | 801 | 14.0 | 54.2% | Schoolwide program |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | 753 | 13.9 | 41.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | 753 | 14.6 | 79.5% | Schoolwide program |
| William O. Darby Jr. High School | 711 | 12.5 | 72.2% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 4,429 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | 2,231 | 11.2 | 65.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Southside High School | 2,053 | 10.8 | 36.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Fort Smith Virtual Academy | 106 | 8.5 | 50.9% | Not reported |
| Belle Point Alternative Center | 39 | 4.1 | 84.6% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Trusty Elementary School
Elementary school in Fort Smith; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 264 students; 18.2 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Fort Smith School District
- Website: fortsmithschools.org
- Phone: (479) 785-2501
- Office: 3205 Jenny Lind Rd, Fort Smith, AR 72901
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Fort Smith School District
- Arkansas districts by spending per studentFort Smith School District ranks 45 of 123 Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,459).#45 of 123
- Every school district in ArkansasFort Smith School District is the number 5 by size of 259 Arkansas districts, with 14,291 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#5 of 259
- Rogers School DistrictThe next larger Arkansas district: 15,964 students in fall 2022, $11,519 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,519
- Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.The next smaller Arkansas district: 12,244 students in fall 2022, $13,934 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,934
- Compare Fort Smith School District with Rogers School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Northside High School, its largest high school2,231 students in 2024-25, 11.2 per teacher.2,231
- Teacher salary spending across ArkansasFort Smith School District spent $53,052 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $42,781); spending, not a salary.$53,052
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Fort Smith School District
How many schools and students are in Fort Smith School District?
26 schools were open in 2024-25 (18 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high), enrolling 14,045 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Fort Smith School District spend per student?
$12,459 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Arkansas median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,785 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,857 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Fort Smith School District's money come from?
$205,400,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 43.8% state, 35.9% local and 20.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Fort Smith School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,873 of the 15,649 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Fort Smith School District spend on teacher salaries?
$53,202,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,723 per student. Divided by the 1,003 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $53,052 per teacher, more than 90 in 100 Arkansas districts (state median $42,781). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Arkansas teacher salary at $52,486 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Fort Smith School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Fort Smith School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 36% in math, against 39.9% in reading and 38.3% in math across Arkansas. Arkansas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Fort Smith School District?
89% of the 1,057 students in Fort Smith School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.9% across Arkansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Fort Smith School District's NCES district ID?
0506330. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25