Jonesboro 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.

Jonesboro, Arkansas - 10 schools

An equity score of 52/100 ranks Jonesboro School District #113 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,107 per pupil, Jonesboro School District ranks #104 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,709
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$12,107
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Jonesboro School District operates 10 public schools serving 6,709 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 3 combined, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Craighead County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,107 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 25.3% local, 49.3% state, and 25.4% 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 52/100, ranked #113 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (20 AP courses district-wide), a 377:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.6% African American, 29.9% White, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is The Academies at Jonesboro High School, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.

Its largest campus is The Academies at Jonesboro High School, enrolling 1,505 students (22% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Early Childhood Learning Cntr, at 315 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

The Academies at Jonesboro High School accounts for 22.3% of all Jonesboro School District student enrollment

That concentration means Jonesboro School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Jonesboro School District school enrollment varies 4.8× across entities

Jonesboro School District school enrollment ranges from 315 students (lowest) to 1,505 students (highest), a spread of 1,190 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

Jonesboro School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.9% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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

Jonesboro School District student-counselor ratio is 377:1 — 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

Jonesboro School District chronic absenteeism rate is 32.9% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

25.4%
Federal
49.3%
State
25.3%
Local

Funding Equity

52
Equity Score
113 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Jonesboro School District.

White 29.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.6%
African American 48.6%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 5.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 62.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Jonesboro School District's schools, above the Arkansas average of 40.4.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 The Academies at Jonesboro High School 66.1
  2. 2 Douglas Macarthur Jhs 66.0
  3. 3 Kindergarten Center 65.8
  4. 4 Annie Camp Jr. High School 65.7
  5. 5 International Studies Magnet 65.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 10
Schools with AP
20 AP courses total
377:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
32.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Jonesboro School District

School Enrollment
The Academies at Jonesboro High School
1,505
Douglas Macarthur Jhs
765
Visual & Performing Art Magnet
731
Annie Camp Jr. High School
701
International Studies Magnet
636
Health/Wellness Envi Magnet
633
Math & Science Magnet School
499
Microsociety Magnet School
492
Kindergarten Center
485
Early Childhood Learning Cntr
315

How Jonesboro School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Van Buren School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Benton School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Russellville School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
N. Little Rock School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
West Memphis School District Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro School District?

Jonesboro School District has 10 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 6,709 students.

How much does Jonesboro School District spend per student?

Jonesboro School District spends $12,107 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #113 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Jonesboro School District?

Jonesboro School District students are 48.6% African American, 29.9% White, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Jonesboro School District?

Jonesboro School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #113 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.