2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 050459001550

Carolyn Lewis Elementary School — Conway, AR

Federal NCES profile for Carolyn Lewis Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.

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0/100100/10040/100
👥 Class size
22
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
70
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Carolyn Lewis Elementary School earns a D Resource Investment Index (40/100), with class sizes larger than 95% of Arkansas schools.

D
Resource Index · 40/100
19.6:1
large classes for Arkansas
39.1%
free-lunch eligible
514
students enrolled

School address

Conway, AR 72034
District: Conway School District · Arkansas

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

514

Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

28.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

19.6:1

vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg

+44% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

39.1%

vs 59.2% Arkansas avg

-34% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Carolyn Lewis Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median
0:135:119.6:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Carolyn Lewis Elementary School reports 514 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 28.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 44% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 39.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% below the Arkansas average and 25% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 514 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Conway School District spends $12,793 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.6% from local sources (property taxes), 40.3% from the state, and 21.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Carolyn Lewis Elementary School compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Arkansas Arkansas avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 19.6:1 ▲ 44% 13.6:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 39.1% ▼ 34% 59.2% 51.8%
Enrollment 514 top 70% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

20 smaller classes than 17% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Below this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). This entry sits in this band. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

514 larger than 63% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Below this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
39.1%
free-lunch eligible — 34% 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 95% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$12,793
per pupil, district-wide — below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 514 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 514 Top 70% in Arkansas — larger than 30% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 19.6:1 +44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 39.1% -34% vs state
NCES ID 050459001550

Student demographics

White 44.7%
African American 32.5%
Two or More 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: White at 44.7% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 514:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 12.1%
In-school suspensions 11
Out-of-school suspensions 2

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conway School District, which includes Carolyn Lewis Elementary School.

$12,793
Per student
-10%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.3%
Federal 21.0%

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.

Other Schools in This District

Conway School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Conway

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Carl Stuart Middle School
Standard public school
752 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Ruth Doyle Intermediate School
Standard public school
547 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Bob Courtway Middle School
Standard public school
498 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Theodore Jones Elem. School
Standard public school
491 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ellen Smith Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate
Standard public school
459 students 12.6:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Carolyn Lewis Elementary School

How many students attend Carolyn Lewis Elementary School?

Carolyn Lewis Elementary School has 514 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in CONWAY, AR.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Carolyn Lewis Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Carolyn Lewis Elementary School is 19.6:1, which is 44% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carolyn Lewis Elementary School?

39.1% of students at Carolyn Lewis Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carolyn Lewis Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Carolyn Lewis Elementary School is White at 44.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in CONWAY, AR.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Carolyn Lewis Elementary School?

Carolyn Lewis Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov