Norfork 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.

Norfork, Arkansas - 2 schools

An equity score of 43/100 ranks Norfork School District #164 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,841 per pupil, Norfork School District ranks #126 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

470
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$11,841
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Norfork School District operates 2 public schools serving 470 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Baxter County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,841 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 46.1% local, 39.7% state, and 14.2% 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 43/100, ranked #164 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 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 371:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 8.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.3% White, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Arrie Goforth Elementary School, enrolling 273 students (58% of the district's total enrollment).

Arrie Goforth Elementary School accounts for 58.1% of all Norfork School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Norfork School District a distant remainder — means Norfork 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

Norfork School District student-counselor ratio is 371:1 — 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

Norfork School District chronic absenteeism rate is 8.3% — 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?

14.2%
Federal
39.7%
State
46.1%
Local

Funding Equity

43
Equity Score
164 / 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 2 schools in Norfork School District.

White 97.3%
Multiracial 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
371:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
8.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Norfork School District

School Enrollment
Arrie Goforth Elementary School
273
Norfork High School
196

How Norfork School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Alpena School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Brinkley School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Clarendon School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Bradford School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Bearden School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Norfork 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 Norfork School District?

Norfork School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 470 students.

How much does Norfork School District spend per student?

Norfork School District spends $11,841 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #164 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Norfork School District?

Norfork School District students are 97.3% White, 0.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Norfork School District?

Norfork School District has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #164 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.