Enrollment
704
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Alma, AR
Alma Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Alma Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050225001350
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alma Primary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Arkansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Alma · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 38.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Alma Primary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alma Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Alma, AR.
School address
District: Alma School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050225001350 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.4%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alma Primary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alma Primary School
Alma Primary School is a large elementary school in Alma, Arkansas, enrolling 704 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.6:1 is larger than about 94% of Arkansas schools and 44% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 704 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,066 Arkansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 208 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #202, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 563 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alma School District also operates Alma High School (981 students) and Alma Middle School (722 students) alongside Alma Primary 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 Alma Primary School compares
Alma Primary 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 44% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.4% | ▼ 35% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 94% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.9%
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
$10,790
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 563 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 78.0%
Two or More 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.3, Alma Primary School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alma School District, which includes Alma Primary School.
$10,790
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 57.2%
Federal 17.4%
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 Alma Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alma Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary 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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alma Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Alma Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alma 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 Alma Primary School
How many students attend Alma Primary School?
Alma Primary School has 704 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Alma, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alma Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alma Primary School is 19.6:1, which is 44% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alma Primary School?
38.4% of students at Alma Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alma Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Alma Primary School is White at 78.0% of enrollment, in Alma, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alma Primary School?
Alma Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alma Primary School rank among public schools in Alma?
By Resource Investment Index, Alma Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Alma, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Alma on the city page.
Is Alma Primary School a good school?
Alma Primary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Alma School District?
Besides Alma Primary School, Alma School District also operates Alma High School (981 students), Alma Middle School (722 students), and Alma Intermediate School (685 students). See the Alma 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.