West Memphis School District
Public school district · Crittenden County · Arkansas · NCES district ID 0508040
West Memphis School District spent $13,096 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 80% of the other Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $11,785). Its 9 schools enrolled 4,511 students in 2024-25; 50.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,559 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 88% (Arkansas: 89.9%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Arkansas districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to West Memphis in enrollment (4,003 to 5,911 students) and West Memphis itself.
Where the money came from
$76,523,000 in revenue: 50.0% state, 20.2% local and 29.8% federal. Total spending including $19,577,000 of capital outlay was $85,973,000, or $17,354 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$38,297,000 50%
- Local$15,421,000 20%
- Federal$22,805,000 30%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 123 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,954 students in 2022-23, 4,752 students in 2023-24, 4,511 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 4,954 | 399.0 | 12.4 |
| 2023-24 | 4,752 | 380.0 | 12.5 |
| 2024-25 | 4,511 | 354.1 | 12.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$18,570,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,748 per student
West Memphis School District booked $18,570,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 399 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $46,543 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 68 in 100 Arkansas districts with a figure (state median $42,781, 205 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Arkansas teacher salary at $52,486 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $14,568,000 | 78.4% |
| Special education | $1,171,000 | 6.3% |
| Vocational | $856,000 | 4.6% |
| Other programs | $1,975,000 | 10.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,319 in 2018-19, $3,379 in 2019-20, $3,511 in 2020-21, $3,626 in 2021-22, $3,748 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in West Memphis School District scored proficient or above: 15% in reading and 17% in math, against 39.9% in reading and 38.3% in math across Arkansas. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Arkansas, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Arkansas | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 15% | 39.9% | 2,928 |
| Math | 17% | 38.3% | 2,939 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
88% of the 345 students in West Memphis School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.9% across Arkansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Arkansas | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 88% | 89.9% |
| Students in the class | 345 | 35,156 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
6 elementary schools, 2,642 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson/Wonder Elementary School | 554 | 17.5 | 99.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Faulk Elementary School | 523 | 16.9 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Bragg Elementary School | 473 | 16.9 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Richland Elementary School | 462 | 16.5 | 99.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Maddux Elementary School | 402 | 15.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Weaver Elementary School | 228 | 13.4 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 972 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wonder Junior High School | 511 | 11.3 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| West Junior High School | 461 | 10.9 | 100.0% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 897 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Academies of West Memphis Charter School | 897 | 8.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
East Junior High School
School in West Memphis; 263 students; 10.3 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact West Memphis School District
- Website: wmsd.net
- Phone: (870) 735-1915
- Office: 301 South Avalon, West Memphis, AR 72301
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about West Memphis School District
- Arkansas districts by spending per studentWest Memphis School District ranks 26 of 123 Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,096).#26 of 123
- Every school district in ArkansasWest Memphis School District is the number 16 by size of 259 Arkansas districts, with 4,954 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#16 of 259
- Russellville School DistrictThe next larger Arkansas district: 5,602 students in fall 2022, $13,246 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,246
- Siloam Springs School DistrictThe next smaller Arkansas district: 4,612 students in fall 2022, $11,504 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,504
- Compare West Memphis School District with Russellville School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- The Academies of West Memphis Charter School, its largest high school897 students in 2024-25, 8.5 per teacher.897
- Teacher salary spending across ArkansasWest Memphis School District spent $46,543 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $42,781); spending, not a salary.$46,543
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about West Memphis School District
How many schools and students are in West Memphis School District?
9 schools were open in 2024-25 (6 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high), enrolling 4,511 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does West Memphis School District spend per student?
$13,096 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Arkansas median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $11,785 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,559 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does West Memphis School District's money come from?
$76,523,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 50.0% state, 20.2% local and 29.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in West Memphis School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,848 of the 4,837 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 38.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does West Memphis School District spend on teacher salaries?
$18,570,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,748 per student. Divided by the 399 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $46,543 per teacher, more than 68 in 100 Arkansas districts (state median $42,781). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Arkansas teacher salary at $52,486 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in West Memphis School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in West Memphis School District scored proficient or above: 15% in reading and 17% in math, against 39.9% in reading and 38.3% in math across Arkansas. Arkansas's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in West Memphis School District?
88% of the 345 students in West Memphis School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 89.9% across Arkansas. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is West Memphis School District's NCES district ID?
0508040. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25