Enrollment
281
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mena, AR
Acorn High School
Federal NCES profile for Acorn High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050007300002
👥 S:T ratio 77
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Acorn High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Arkansas schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Mena · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.7:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 49.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Acorn High School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Acorn High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Mena, AR.
School address
District: Ouachita River School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050007300002 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Acorn High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Acorn High School
Acorn High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mena, Arkansas, enrolling 281 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.7:1, Acorn High School is leaner than roughly 94% of Arkansas schools and 58% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.1% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 281 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 205 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 281 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Ouachita River School District also operates Acorn Elementary School (321 students) and Oden Schools (133 students) alongside Acorn High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Acorn High School compares
Acorn High School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.7:1 | ▼ 58% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.1% | ▼ 17% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 281 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.7:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
281
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5.7:1
students per teacher
- 58% below state mean
Top 6% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,894
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 281 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Acorn High School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ouachita River School District, which includes Acorn High School.
$10,894
Per student
-11%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 56.7%
Federal 23.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Acorn High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oden Schools | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Acorn High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 5.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~281 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Acorn High School's federal record.
- Compare Acorn High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ouachita River School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Acorn High School
How many students attend Acorn High School?
Acorn High School has 281 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mena, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Acorn High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Acorn High School is 5.7:1, which is 58% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 64% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Acorn High School?
49.1% of students at Acorn High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Acorn High School?
The largest demographic group at Acorn High School is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Mena, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Acorn High School?
Acorn High School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Acorn High School rank among schools in Mena?
By Resource Investment Index, Acorn High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Mena, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mena on the city page.
Is Acorn High School a good school?
Acorn High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Arkansas schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ouachita River School District?
Besides Acorn High School, Ouachita River School District also operates Acorn Elementary School (321 students) and Oden Schools (133 students). See the Ouachita River School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.