Heber Springs School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Heber Springs, Arkansas - 3 schools

An equity score of 14/100 ranks Heber Springs School District #244 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,159 per pupil, Heber Springs School District ranks #221 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,620
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$10,159
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Heber Springs School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,620 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Cleburne County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,159 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arkansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 51.8% local, 26.9% state, and 21.3% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 14/100, ranked #244 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, notably less 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 (6 AP courses district-wide), a 403.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 8.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.1% White, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Heber Springs High School, with a diversity index of 21.6/100.

Its largest campus is Heber Springs Elem. School, enrolling 743 students (46% of the district's total enrollment).

Heber Springs Elem. School accounts for 45.9% of all Heber Springs School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Heber Springs School District a distant remainder — means Heber Springs School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Heber Springs School District student-counselor ratio is 404:1 — 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

Heber Springs School District chronic absenteeism rate is 8.9% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Where does the funding come from?

21.3%
Federal
26.9%
State
51.8%
Local

Funding Equity

14
Equity Score
244 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Heber Springs School District.

White 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Multiracial 3.6%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 20.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Heber Springs School District's schools, below the Arkansas average of 40.4.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Heber Springs High School 21.6
  2. 2 Heber Springs Elem. School 20.4
  3. 3 Heber Springs Middle School 18.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
403.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
8.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Heber Springs School District

School Enrollment
Heber Springs Elem. School
743
Heber Springs High School
483
Heber Springs Middle School
391

How Heber Springs School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Gentry School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mountain View School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Highland School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Lonoke School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Stuttgart School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Heber Springs School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

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 · $11,376/pupil
Compare vs Heber Springs School District →
Little Rock School District
21,456 students · 40 schools · $14,597/pupil
Compare vs Heber Springs School District →
Bentonville School District
18,674 students · 24 schools · $11,698/pupil
Compare vs Heber Springs School District →
Rogers School District
15,964 students · 23 schools · $10,977/pupil
Compare vs Heber Springs School District →
Fort Smith School District
14,291 students · 27 schools · $12,206/pupil
Compare vs Heber Springs School District →

Compare Heber Springs School District

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 Heber Springs School District?

Heber Springs School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,620 students.

How much does Heber Springs School District spend per student?

Heber Springs School District spends $10,159 per student. The district has an equity score of 14/100, ranking #244 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Heber Springs School District?

Heber Springs School District students are 89.1% White, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Heber Springs School District?

Heber Springs School District has an equity score of 14/100, ranking #244 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.