Enrollment
173
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Decatur, AR
Decatur High School
Federal NCES profile for Decatur High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 050498000221
👥 S:T ratio 85
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decatur High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 3.7:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Decatur High School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Decatur, AR.
School address
District: Decatur School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050498000221 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-73% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Decatur High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Decatur High School
Decatur High School is a high-poverty, small high school in Decatur, Arkansas, enrolling 173 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.7:1, Decatur High School is leaner than roughly 98% of Arkansas schools and 73% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 173 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 86 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (41%) and White (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 99 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 173 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Decatur School District also operates Decatur Northside Elementary (278 students) and Decatur Middle School (162 students) alongside Decatur High 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 Decatur High School compares
Decatur High 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 | 3.7:1 | ▼ 73% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 173 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.7:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
173
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
3.7:1
students per teacher
- 73% below state mean
Top 2% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$12,713
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 57.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 41.0%
White 38.7%
Asian 11.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.0%
African American 2.3%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 41.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.6, Decatur High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur School District, which includes Decatur High School.
$12,713
Per student
+4%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.5%
State 44.1%
Federal 23.3%
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 Decatur High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Northside Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Decatur Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Decatur High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 278
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 162
- Students per teacher
- 8.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high 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 (~173 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~3.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decatur High School's federal record.
- Compare Decatur High School against another school. Compare schools
- Decatur 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 Decatur High School
How many students attend Decatur High School?
Decatur High School has 173 students enrolled. It is a high school in Decatur, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Decatur High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Decatur High School is 3.7:1, which is 73% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 76% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Decatur High School?
100.0% of students at Decatur High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decatur High School?
The largest demographic group at Decatur High School is Hispanic or Latino at 41.0% of enrollment, in Decatur, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decatur High School?
Decatur High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Decatur High School rank among public schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Decatur, 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 Decatur on the city page.
Is Decatur High School a good school?
Decatur High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Arkansas schools. 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 Decatur School District?
Besides Decatur High School, Decatur School District also operates Decatur Northside Elementary (278 students) and Decatur Middle School (162 students). See the Decatur 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.