Enrollment
238
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dumas, AR
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050550000260
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Arkansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Dumas · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes larger than 70% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Dumas, AR.
School address
District: Dumas School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050550000260 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dumas, Arkansas, enrolling 238 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 238 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 133 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #125, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 238 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Dumas School District spends $15,637 per pupil, 28% above the Arkansas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 30.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dumas School District also operates Reed Elementary School (368 students) and Dumas High School (266 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 238 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
238
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 70% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$15,637
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 238 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dumas School District, which includes Central Elementary School.
$15,637
Per student
+28%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.6%
State 40.4%
Federal 30.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reed Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dumas High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dumas Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 7.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 8.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~238 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dumas 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 238 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dumas, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 public schools in Dumas?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Dumas, 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 Dumas on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Dumas School District?
Besides Central Elementary School, Dumas School District also operates Reed Elementary School (368 students), Dumas High School (266 students), and Dumas Junior High School (184 students). See the Dumas 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.