Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.
Public school district · Phillips County · Arkansas · NCES district ID 0507680
Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. spent $14,610 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 93% of the other Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,785). Its 2 schools enrolled 978 students in 2024-25; 31.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,985 per student, up 23.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85-89% (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 districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. in enrollment (974 to 1,045 students) and Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. itself.
Where the money came from
$26,754,000 in revenue: 31.8% state, 43.7% local and 24.6% federal. Total spending including $3,095,000 of capital outlay was $19,439,000, or $19,208 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$8,502,000 32%
- Local$11,681,000 44%
- Federal$6,571,000 25%
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
1,012 students in 2022-23, 977 students in 2023-24, 978 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 | 1,012 | 93.7 | 10.8 |
| 2023-24 | 977 | 90.0 | 10.8 |
| 2024-25 | 978 | 90.9 | 10.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$3,345,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,305 per student
Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. booked $3,345,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 94 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 $35,688 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 13 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 | $2,488,000 | 74.4% |
| Special education | $430,000 | 12.9% |
| Vocational | $140,000 | 4.2% |
| Other programs | $287,000 | 8.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,004 in 2018-19, $3,376 in 2019-20, $3,636 in 2020-21, $3,715 in 2021-22, $3,305 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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. scored proficient or above: 17% in reading and 9% 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 | 17% | 39.9% | 602 |
| Math | 9% | 38.3% | 604 |
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
85-89% of the 93 students in Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.'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 | 85‑89% | 89.9% |
| Students in the class | 93 | 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.
1 elementary school, 539 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.F. Wahl Elementary School | 539 | 15.5 | 100.0% | 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.
1 high school, 439 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | 439 | 7.8 | 94.5% | 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.
Contact Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.
- Website: hwhschools.org
- Phone: (870) 338-4425
- Office: 305 Valley Drive, Helena, AR 72342
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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.
- Arkansas districts by spending per studentHelena/ W.Helena School Dist. ranks 10 of 123 Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,610).#10 of 123
- Every school district in ArkansasHelena/ W.Helena School Dist. is the number 121 by size of 259 Arkansas districts, with 1,012 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#121 of 259
- Bismarck School DistrictThe next larger Arkansas district: 1,020 students in fall 2022, $10,540 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,540
- Dumas Public School DistrictThe next smaller Arkansas district: 1,001 students in fall 2022, $16,612 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,612
- Compare Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. with Bismarck School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Central High School, its largest high school439 students in 2024-25, 7.8 per teacher.439
- Teacher salary spending across ArkansasHelena/ W.Helena School Dist. spent $35,688 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $42,781); spending, not a salary.$35,688
- 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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.
How many schools and students are in Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.?
2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 978 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. spend per student?
$14,610 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 $17,985 per student, up 23.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.'s money come from?
$26,754,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 31.8% state, 43.7% local and 24.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,242 of the 1,867 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 66.5%, 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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. spend on teacher salaries?
$3,345,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,305 per student. Divided by the 94 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $35,688 per teacher, more than 13 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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Helena/ W.Helena School Dist. scored proficient or above: 17% in reading and 9% 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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.?
85-89% of the 93 students in Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.'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 Helena/ W.Helena School Dist.'s NCES district ID?
0507680. 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