An equity score of 50/100 ranks Malvern School District #120 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,806 per pupil, Malvern School District ranks #71 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,831
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,806
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Malvern School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,831 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 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 Hot Spring County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,806 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 37.1% local, 39.4% state, and 23.5% 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 50/100, ranked #120 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 324.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 25.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.7% White, 26.7% African American, 13.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Malvern Junior High School, with a diversity index of 71.5/100.
Its largest campus is Malvern Elementary School, enrolling 781 students (42% of the district's total enrollment).
Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses held roughly steady from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (1,831 to 1,825 students, -0.3%), per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.
Of the district's $33,892,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 39.3% went to instruction, 30.2% to support services, and 21.4% to capital outlay, a capital-heavy year, consistent with active construction, renovation, or major equipment purchases. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.
Malvern Elementary School accounts for 41.6% of all Malvern School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Malvern School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Malvern School District school enrollment varies 3.0× across entities
Malvern School District school enrollment ranges from 264 students (lowest) to 781 students (highest), a spread of 517 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.
Malvern School District reports 59.1% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Malvern School District student-counselor ratio is 325:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Malvern School District is typically wider than the Malvern School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Malvern School District chronic absenteeism rate is 25.5% — 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 Malvern School District is typically wider than the Malvern School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Malvern School District has 4 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,831 students.
How much does Malvern School District spend per student?
Malvern School District spends $13,806 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #120 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Malvern School District?
Malvern School District students are 45.7% White, 26.7% African American, 13.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Malvern School District?
Malvern School District has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #120 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.