Enrollment
427
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Benton, AR
Caldwell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Caldwell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050296000064
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Caldwell Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #3 of 7
- elementary schools in Benton · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 12.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Caldwell Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Caldwell Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Benton, AR.
School address
District: Benton School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050296000064 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Caldwell Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Caldwell Elementary School
Caldwell Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Benton, Arkansas, enrolling 427 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arkansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.7% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Arkansas average.
With 427 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 65 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 427 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Benton School District spends $8,851 per pupil, 28% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students) and Benton High School (1,298 students) alongside Caldwell 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 Caldwell Elementary School compares
Caldwell 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.7% | ▼ 79% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 427 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
427
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 54% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$8,851
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 427 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 83.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
African American 6.1%
Two or More 4.4%
Largest group: White at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, Caldwell Elementary School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Benton School District, which includes Caldwell Elementary School.
$8,851
Per student
-28%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 53.6%
Federal 12.2%
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 Caldwell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Benton Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ringgold Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Perrin Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Caldwell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,363
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,298
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~427 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Caldwell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Caldwell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Benton 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 Caldwell Elementary School
How many students attend Caldwell Elementary School?
Caldwell Elementary School has 427 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Benton, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Caldwell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Caldwell Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Caldwell Elementary School?
12.7% of students at Caldwell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Caldwell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Caldwell Elementary School is White at 83.1% of enrollment, in Benton, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Caldwell Elementary School?
Caldwell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Caldwell Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Benton?
By Resource Investment Index, Caldwell Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Benton, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Benton on the city page.
Is Caldwell Elementary School a good school?
Caldwell Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Benton School District?
Besides Caldwell Elementary School, Benton School District also operates Benton Middle School (1,363 students), Benton High School (1,298 students), and Benton Junior High School (971 students). See the Benton 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.