Enrollment
305
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Little Rock, AR
Cato Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cato Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051185000906
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cato Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #6 of 11
- schools in North Little Rock · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 96.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cato Elementary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cato Elementary School ranks #6 of 11 schools in North Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. · Arkansas
NCES ID 051185000906 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cato Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cato Elementary School
Cato Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in North Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 305 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 305 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 161 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #124, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. spends $14,894 per pupil, 22% above the Arkansas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. also operates Sylvan Hills High School (1,120 students) and Joe T. Robinson High School (1,030 students) alongside Cato 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 Cato Elementary School compares
Cato 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.6% | ▲ 63% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% above the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 72% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$14,894
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 46.9%
African American 31.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 46.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Cato 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 Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist., which includes Cato Elementary School.
$14,894
Per student
+22%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 16.6%
Federal 20.4%
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 Cato Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Hills High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joe T. Robinson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maumelle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cato Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 869
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~305 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cato Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cato Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.'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 Cato Elementary School
How many students attend Cato Elementary School?
Cato Elementary School has 305 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cato Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cato Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 18% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cato Elementary School?
96.6% of students at Cato Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cato Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cato Elementary School is White at 46.9% of enrollment, in North Little Rock, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cato Elementary School?
Cato Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Cato Elementary School rank among schools in North Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Cato Elementary School ranks #6 of 11 schools in North Little Rock, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in North Little Rock on the city page.
Is Cato Elementary School a good school?
Cato Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Arkansas schools. 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 Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.?
Besides Cato Elementary School, Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. also operates Sylvan Hills High School (1,120 students), Joe T. Robinson High School (1,030 students), and Maumelle High School (869 students). See the Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. 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.