Waldron 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Waldron, Arkansas - 4 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Waldron School District #125 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,634 per pupil, Waldron School District ranks #167 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,576
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$11,634
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Waldron School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,576 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high 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 Scott County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,634 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 18.2% local, 57.0% state, and 24.8% 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 49/100, ranked #125 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 242.1:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 30.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 77.3% White, 13.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Waldron High School, with a diversity index of 45.0/100.

Its largest campus is Waldron Elementary School, enrolling 648 students (43% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Adventure Online Academy, at 35 students, a 19x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Waldron Elementary School accounts for 41.1% of all Waldron School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Waldron School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Waldron School District school enrollment varies 19× across entities

Waldron School District school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 648 students (highest), a spread of 613 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Waldron School District reports 56.2% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Waldron School District student-counselor ratio is 242:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Waldron School District chronic absenteeism rate is 30.9% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

24.8%
Federal
57.0%
State
18.2%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
125 / 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 4 schools in Waldron School District.

White 77.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.9%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.6%
Multiracial 2.9%
Other 3.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 37.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Waldron High School 45.0
  2. 2 Waldron Middle School 38.9
  3. 3 Waldron Elementary School 36.8
  4. 4 Adventure Online Academy 29.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
242.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Waldron School District

School Enrollment
Waldron Elementary School
648
Waldron Middle School
409
Waldron High School
401
Adventure Online Academy
Charter
35

How Waldron School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arkansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Trumann School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Blytheville School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Stuttgart School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Founders Classical Academies of Arkansas Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lonoke School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Waldron 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 · $12,146/pupil
Compare vs Waldron School District →
Little Rock School District
21,456 students · 40 schools · $15,959/pupil
Compare vs Waldron School District →
Bentonville School District
18,674 students · 24 schools · $12,377/pupil
Compare vs Waldron School District →
Rogers School District
15,964 students · 23 schools · $11,519/pupil
Compare vs Waldron School District →
Fort Smith School District
14,291 students · 27 schools · $12,459/pupil
Compare vs Waldron School District →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Waldron 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 Waldron School District?

Waldron School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,576 students.

How much does Waldron School District spend per student?

Waldron School District spends $11,634 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #125 in Arkansas.

What is the demographic composition of Waldron School District?

Waldron School District students are 77.3% White, 13.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% Asian, 0.6% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Waldron School District?

Waldron School District has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #125 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.