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Mena, Arkansas - 5 schools
An equity score of 46/100 ranks Mena School District #146 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,976 per pupil, Mena School District ranks #116 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,745
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$11,976
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Mena School District operates 5 public schools serving 1,745 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary, 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 Polk County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,976 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 28.4% local, 43.5% state, and 28.1% 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 46/100, ranked #146 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 319.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 24.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.4% White, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Louise Durham Elem. School, with a diversity index of 30.5/100.
Its largest campus is Mena High School, enrolling 503 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Polk County Virtual Academy, at 12 students, a 42x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Mena High School accounts for 28.8% of all Mena School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Mena 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.
Mena School District school enrollment varies 42× across entities
Mena School District school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 503 students (highest), a spread of 491 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Mena School District student-counselor ratio is 319:1 — 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 Mena School District is typically wider than the Mena School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Mena School District chronic absenteeism rate is 24.7% — 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 Mena School District is typically wider than the Mena School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Mena School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,745 students.
How much does Mena School District spend per student?
Mena School District spends $11,976 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #146 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Mena School District?
Mena School District students are 86.4% White, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Mena School District?
Mena School District has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #146 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.