Enrollment
426
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pine Bluff, AR
Coleman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Coleman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 051393001136
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Coleman Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #3 of 9
- elementary schools in Pine Bluff · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Coleman Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Coleman Elementary School ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Pine Bluff, AR.
School address
District: Watson Chapel School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051393001136 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Coleman Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Coleman Elementary School
Coleman Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, enrolling 426 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 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.
With 426 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 156 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #67.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 108 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 426 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Watson Chapel School District also operates Watson Chapel High School (593 students) and Watson Chapel Jr. High School (334 students) alongside Coleman 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 Coleman Elementary School compares
Coleman 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 426 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
426
Bigger than 51% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 62% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.6%
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
$13,476
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.4 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
African American 85.9%
White 10.3%
Two or More 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.1, Coleman Elementary School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watson Chapel School District, which includes Coleman Elementary School.
$13,476
Per student
+10%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 57.0%
Federal 28.3%
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 Coleman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Chapel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watson Chapel Jr. High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. L. Owen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Coleman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary 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 (~426 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Coleman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Coleman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Watson Chapel 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 Coleman Elementary School
How many students attend Coleman Elementary School?
Coleman Elementary School has 426 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Coleman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Coleman Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 12% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Coleman Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Coleman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Coleman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Coleman Elementary School is African American at 85.9% of enrollment, in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Coleman Elementary School?
Coleman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Coleman Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Pine Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Coleman Elementary School ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Pine Bluff, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Pine Bluff on the city page.
Is Coleman Elementary School a good school?
Coleman Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Watson Chapel School District?
Besides Coleman Elementary School, Watson Chapel School District also operates Watson Chapel High School (593 students), Watson Chapel Jr. High School (334 students), and L. L. Owen Elementary School (238 students). See the Watson Chapel 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.