Enrollment
553
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clinton, AR
Cowsert Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cowsert Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050441000171
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowsert Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Clinton · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowsert Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowsert Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clinton, AR.
School address
District: Clinton School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050441000171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowsert Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowsert Elementary School
Cowsert Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Clinton, Arkansas, enrolling 553 students.
At 14.2:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 553 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 125 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Clinton School District also operates Clinton High School (390 students) and Clinton Jr High School (317 students) alongside Cowsert 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 Cowsert Elementary School compares
Cowsert 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 553 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
553
Bigger than 68% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 54% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$11,885
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 88.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 88.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.0, Cowsert 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 Clinton School District, which includes Cowsert Elementary School.
$11,885
Per student
-3%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.2%
State 41.8%
Federal 22.0%
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 Cowsert Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clinton Jr High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowsert Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~553 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowsert Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cowsert Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Clinton 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 Cowsert Elementary School
How many students attend Cowsert Elementary School?
Cowsert Elementary School has 553 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clinton, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowsert Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowsert Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 4% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cowsert Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Cowsert Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowsert Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cowsert Elementary School is White at 88.4% of enrollment, in Clinton, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowsert Elementary School?
Cowsert Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Cowsert Elementary School rank among public schools in Clinton?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowsert Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clinton, 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 Clinton on the city page.
Is Cowsert Elementary School a good school?
Cowsert Elementary School earns 46/100 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 Clinton School District?
Besides Cowsert Elementary School, Clinton School District also operates Clinton High School (390 students) and Clinton Jr High School (317 students). See the Clinton 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.