An equity score of 77/100 ranks Watson Chapel School District #23 of 250 districts in Arkansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,737 per pupil, Watson Chapel School District ranks #44 of 255 Arkansas districts by per-pupil spending (Arkansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,796
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$14,737
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Watson Chapel School District operates 5 public schools serving 1,796 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Arkansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 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 Jefferson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,737 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 14.8% local, 57.0% state, and 28.3% 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 77/100, ranked #23 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 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (9 AP courses district-wide), a 248:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 34.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.4% African American, 8.7% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Edgewood Elementary School, with a diversity index of 27.2/100.
Its largest campus is Watson Chapel High School, enrolling 593 students (33% of the district's total enrollment).
Watson Chapel High School accounts for 33.0% of all Watson Chapel School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Watson Chapel 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.
Watson Chapel School District school enrollment varies 3.0× across entities
Watson Chapel School District school enrollment ranges from 199 students (lowest) to 593 students (highest), a spread of 394 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.
Watson Chapel School District reports 100.0% 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.
Watson Chapel School District student-counselor ratio is 248:1 — 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.
Watson Chapel School District chronic absenteeism rate is 34.2% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Watson Chapel 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.
How many schools are in Watson Chapel School District?
Watson Chapel School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,796 students.
How much does Watson Chapel School District spend per student?
Watson Chapel School District spends $14,737 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #23 in Arkansas.
What is the demographic composition of Watson Chapel School District?
Watson Chapel School District students are 87.4% African American, 8.7% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Watson Chapel School District?
Watson Chapel School District has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #23 out of 250 districts in Arkansas.