Enrollment
394
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cabot, AR
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050375001431
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Cabot · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Cabot, AR.
School address
District: Cabot School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050375001431 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary School
Central Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cabot, Arkansas, enrolling 394 students.
At 13.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 394 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 283 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #166.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 394 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 107 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 394 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cabot School District also operates Cabot High School (2,170 students) and Cabot Junior High North (920 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary School compares
Central 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 30% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 47% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$9,980
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 394 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.2 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 75.1%
Two or More 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
African American 4.6%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.3, Central Elementary School is about as mixed as the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cabot School District, which includes Central Elementary School.
$9,980
Per student
-19%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 56.5%
Federal 15.7%
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 Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabot High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cabot Junior High North | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cabot Middle School North | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cabot Freshman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cabot Middle School South | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,170
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 920
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~394 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cabot 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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cabot, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 13.6:1, which is 0% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary School?
41.7% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary School is White at 75.1% of enrollment, in Cabot, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Central Elementary School rank among schools in Cabot?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Cabot, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cabot on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 43/100 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 Cabot School District?
Besides Central Elementary School, Cabot School District also operates Cabot High School (2,170 students), Cabot Junior High North (920 students), and Cabot Middle School North (828 students). See the Cabot 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.