Riverside 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.

Lake City, Arkansas - 3 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Riverside School District #181 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,027 per pupil, Riverside School District ranks #181 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

774
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$11,027
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Riverside School District operates 3 public schools serving 774 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 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 Craighead County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,027 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arkansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 27.9% local, 52.4% state, and 19.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #181 of 250 in Arkansas against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 412:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 24.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.7% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Riverside West Elem. School, with a diversity index of 18.0/100.

Its largest campus is Riverside High School, enrolling 342 students (43% of the district's total enrollment).

Riverside High School accounts for 43.3% of all Riverside School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Riverside 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

Riverside School District school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities

Riverside School District school enrollment ranges from 147 students (lowest) to 342 students (highest), a spread of 195 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

Riverside School District student-counselor ratio is 412:1 — 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

Riverside School District chronic absenteeism rate is 24.6% — 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 Riverside School District is typically wider than the Riverside School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

19.7%
Federal
52.4%
State
27.9%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
181 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Riverside School District.

White 91.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
African American 1.3%
Multiracial 1.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 15.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Riverside West Elem. School 18.0
  2. 2 Riverside High School 15.9
  3. 3 Riverside East Elem. School 13.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 3
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
412:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
24.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Riverside School District

School Enrollment
Riverside High School
342
Riverside West Elem. School
300
Riverside East Elem. School
147

How Riverside School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Palestine-Wheatley Sch. Dist. Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Mansfield School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Greenland School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Two Rivers School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Danville School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Riverside 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 Riverside School District?

Riverside School District has 3 schools, including 3 combined. Total enrollment is 774 students.

How much does Riverside School District spend per student?

Riverside School District spends $11,027 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #181 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Riverside School District?

Riverside School District students are 91.7% White, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Riverside School District?

Riverside School District has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #181 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.