FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas — 5 schools

913
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,042
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF operates 5 public schools serving 913 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 other, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,052 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Jefferson County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,042 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 0.4% local, 66.6% state, and 33.0% 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. The district's equity score — 54/100, ranked #105 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 180.4:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 15.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.9% African American, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% White across the district's schools.

Friendship Aspire Academy accounts for 44.6% of all FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF school enrollment varies 7.6× across entities

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF school enrollment ranges from 62 students (lowest) to 469 students (highest), a spread of 407 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

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

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 63.2% 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

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF student-counselor ratio is 180:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF chronic absenteeism rate is 15.8% — 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 FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF is typically wider than the FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

33.0%
Federal
66.6%
State
0.4%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
105 / 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 Jefferson County county, where this district is located.

$697
Studio/mo
$728
1 BR/mo
$937
2 BR/mo
$1,224
3 BR/mo
$1,241
4 BR/mo

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF.

White 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
African American 91.9%
Multiracial 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

180.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
15.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF

School Enrollment
Friendship Aspire Academy
Charter
469
Friendship Aspire Academy Downtown Pine Bluff
Charter
245
Friendship Academy Little Rock Elementary
Charter
200
Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Pine Bluff
Charter
76
Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School
Charter
62

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF?

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF has 5 schools, including 3 elementary, 1 other, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 913 students.

How much does FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF spend per student?

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF spends $13,042 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #105 in Arkansas.

What is the average rent near FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF?

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

What is the demographic composition of FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF?

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF students are 91.9% African American, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF?

FRIENDSHIP ASPIRE ACADEMY PINE BLUFF has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #105 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

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