Enrollment
448
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Little Rock, AR
Chenal Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Chenal Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051185001484
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chenal Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #9 of 24
- schools in Little Rock · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 16.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Chenal Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chenal Elementary School ranks #9 of 24 schools in Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. · Arkansas
NCES ID 051185001484 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.9%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chenal Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chenal Elementary School
Chenal Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 448 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.9% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Arkansas average.
With 448 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 102 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #25.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.
Among Little Rock's public schools, it stands alongside Rockefeller Early Childhood Center (317 students): Chenal Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 22.6:1).
Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. also operates Sylvan Hills High School (1,120 students) and Joe T. Robinson High School (1,030 students) alongside Chenal 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 Chenal Elementary School compares
Chenal 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 | 16.9% | ▼ 71% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 448 | top 40% | - | - |
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.
448
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% 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
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
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 48.7%
African American 18.8%
Asian 13.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 8.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Chenal 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 Chenal 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 Chenal Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Hills High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joe T. Robinson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maumelle High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chenal 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 in Little Rock
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~448 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chenal Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Chenal 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 Chenal Elementary School
How many students attend Chenal Elementary School?
Chenal Elementary School has 448 students enrolled. It is a public school in Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chenal Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chenal 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 Chenal Elementary School?
16.9% of students at Chenal Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chenal Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Chenal Elementary School is White at 48.7% of enrollment, in Little Rock, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chenal Elementary School?
Chenal Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Chenal Elementary School rank among schools in Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Chenal Elementary School ranks #9 of 24 schools in 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 Little Rock on the city page.
Is Chenal Elementary School a good school?
Chenal Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Chenal 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.