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Bee Branch, Arkansas - 2 schools
An equity score of 52/100 ranks South Side School District #116 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,592 per pupil, South Side School District ranks #35 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
542
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$14,592
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
South Side School District operates 2 public schools serving 542 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 Van Buren County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,592 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 51.3% local, 27.2% state, and 21.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 52/100, ranked #116 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 (6 AP courses district-wide), a 345.4:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.2% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% African American across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is South Side Elementary School, enrolling 269 students (52% of the district's total enrollment).
South Side Elementary School accounts for 49.6% of all South Side School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of South Side School District a distant remainder — means South Side 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.
South Side School District student-counselor ratio is 345:1 — 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 South Side School District is typically wider than the South Side School District-aggregate figure suggests.
South Side School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.3% — 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 South Side School District is typically wider than the South Side School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in South Side School District?
South Side School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 542 students.
How much does South Side School District spend per student?
South Side School District spends $14,592 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #116 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of South Side School District?
South Side School District students are 90.2% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.5% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Side School District?
South Side School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #116 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.