Enrollment
286
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
Ballman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ballman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633000351
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ballman Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #7 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 55.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ballman Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ballman Elementary School ranks #7 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000351 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.8%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ballman Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ballman Elementary School
Ballman Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 286 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.8% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 286 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 180 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #128, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students) and Southside High School (2,053 students) alongside Ballman Elementary 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 Ballman Elementary School compares
Ballman Elementary 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.8% | ▼ 6% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 61% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$12,206
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 50.3%
Hispanic or Latino 27.6%
Two or More 13.3%
African American 7.0%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: White at 50.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Ballman Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Smith School District, which includes Ballman Elementary School.
$12,206
Per student
0%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 44.3%
Federal 20.2%
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 Ballman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ballman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,231
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,053
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~286 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ballman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ballman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Smith 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 Ballman Elementary School
How many students attend Ballman Elementary School?
Ballman Elementary School has 286 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ballman Elementary School is 15.1:1, which is 11% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ballman Elementary School?
55.8% of students at Ballman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ballman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ballman Elementary School is White at 50.3% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ballman Elementary School?
Ballman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Ballman Elementary School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Ballman Elementary School ranks #7 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Smith on the city page.
Is Ballman Elementary School a good school?
Ballman Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fort Smith School District?
Besides Ballman Elementary School, Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students), Southside High School (2,053 students), and Ramsey Junior High School (801 students). See the Fort Smith 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.