Enrollment
362
Louisiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Alexandria, LA
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 220129001055
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana schools.
- #13 of 25
- public schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Louisiana
- 93.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Louisiana schools. Computed live against every Louisiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School ranks #13 of 25 public schools in Alexandria, LA.
School address
District: Rapides Parish · Louisiana
NCES ID 220129001055 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 16.8:1 Louisiana avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.3%
vs 62.5% Louisiana avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School compares with Louisiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Alexandria, Louisiana, enrolling 362 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.7:1, Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is leaner than roughly 88% of Louisiana schools and 30% under the state's 16.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 93.3% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the Louisiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 362 students, its enrollment sits close to the Louisiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,330 scored Louisiana schools.
Against 165 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #57.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 76 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 362 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Alexandria's middle schools, it stands alongside Scott M. Brame Middle School (709 students): Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 18.2:1).
Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students) and Pineville High School (1,271 students) alongside Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet 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 Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School compares
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School on the metrics families compare, against Louisiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Louisiana | Louisiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 30% | 16.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.3% | ▲ 49% | 62.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Louisiana average of 62.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 12% in Louisiana - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$13,896
per pupil, district-wide
- below Louisiana avg of $16,376
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 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
African American 97.0%
White 1.7%
Two or More 1.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 97.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.9, Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is less mixed than the Louisiana school average of 43.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rapides Parish, which includes Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School.
$13,896
Per student
-15%
vs Louisiana
Avg $16,376
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 43.2%
Federal 17.9%
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 Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pineville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peabody Magnet High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J.I. Barron Sr. Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckeye High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,475
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,271
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,071
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle schools in Alexandria
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Louisiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~362 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Rapides Parish'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 Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School
How many students attend Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School?
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School has 362 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Alexandria, LA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is 11.7:1, which is 30% lower than the Louisiana average of 16.8:1 and 25% 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 Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School?
93.3% of students at Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Louisiana average of 62.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School is African American at 97.0% of enrollment, in Alexandria, LA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School?
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School rank among public schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School ranks #13 of 25 public schools in Alexandria, LA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Alexandria on the city page.
Is Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School a good school?
Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Louisiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Louisiana 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 Rapides Parish?
Besides Arthur F. Smith Middle Magnet School, Rapides Parish also operates Alexandria Senior High School (1,475 students), Pineville High School (1,271 students), and Peabody Magnet High School (1,071 students). See the Rapides Parish 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.