Enrollment
762
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Alexander, AR
Bethel Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Bethel Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 050369001197
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Arkansas schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Alexander · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 32.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethel Middle School has class sizes larger than 77% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Alexander, AR.
School address
District: Bryant School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050369001197 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel Middle School
Bethel Middle School is a large middle school in Alexander, Arkansas, enrolling 762 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 91% of state schools at 762 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 174 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Bryant School District spends $9,843 per pupil, 20% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Bryant School District also operates Bryant High School (2,369 students) and Bryant Junior High School (1,545 students) alongside Bethel Middle 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 Bethel Middle School compares
Bethel Middle 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.6% | ▼ 45% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 762 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
762
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 77% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,843
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.5 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 58.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
African American 14.0%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 58.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Bethel Middle School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bryant School District, which includes Bethel Middle School.
$9,843
Per student
-20%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 49.1%
Federal 15.2%
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 Bethel Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bryant Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bryant Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bryant Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkway Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,369
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,545
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle 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 (~762 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Bethel Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bryant 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 Bethel Middle School
How many students attend Bethel Middle School?
Bethel Middle School has 762 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Alexander, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel Middle School is 16.6:1, which is 22% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethel Middle School?
32.6% of students at Bethel Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Bethel Middle School is White at 58.3% of enrollment, in Alexander, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel Middle School?
Bethel Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Bethel Middle School rank among public schools in Alexander?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Alexander, 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 Alexander on the city page.
Is Bethel Middle School a good school?
Bethel Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Bryant School District?
Besides Bethel Middle School, Bryant School District also operates Bryant High School (2,369 students), Bryant Junior High School (1,545 students), and Bryant Elementary School (785 students). See the Bryant 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.