An equity score of 68/100 ranks Pine Bluff School District #56 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,959 per pupil, Pine Bluff School District ranks #9 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,261
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$17,959
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Pine Bluff School District operates 9 public schools serving 3,261 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 combined, 2 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 Jefferson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,959 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 26 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arkansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.3% local, 38.1% state, and 26.6% 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 68/100, ranked #56 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 269.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 40.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.8% African American, 2.4% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Broadmoor Elementary School, with a diversity index of 19.6/100.
Its largest campus is Pine Bluff High School, enrolling 688 students (21% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Dollarway High School, at 163 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Pine Bluff High School accounts for 21.1% of all Pine Bluff School District student enrollment
That concentration means Pine Bluff School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. 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.
Pine Bluff School District school enrollment varies 4.2× across entities
Pine Bluff School District school enrollment ranges from 163 students (lowest) to 688 students (highest), a spread of 525 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.
Pine Bluff School District reports 99.9% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. 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.
Pine Bluff School District student-counselor ratio is 269:1 — 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 Pine Bluff School District is typically wider than the Pine Bluff School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Pine Bluff School District chronic absenteeism rate is 40.6% — 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.
How many schools are in Pine Bluff School District?
Pine Bluff School District has 9 schools, including 2 high, 3 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,261 students.
How much does Pine Bluff School District spend per student?
Pine Bluff School District spends $17,959 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #56 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Pine Bluff School District?
Pine Bluff School District students are 91.8% African American, 2.4% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Pine Bluff School District?
Pine Bluff School District has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #56 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.