Enrollment
278
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decatur, AR
Decatur Northside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Decatur Northside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050498000220
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decatur Northside Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Decatur Northside Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur Northside Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Decatur, AR.
School address
District: Decatur School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050498000220 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Decatur Northside Elementary compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Decatur Northside Elementary
Decatur Northside Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Decatur, Arkansas, enrolling 278 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 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 278 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 151 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #101.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (44%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.0% 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.
Decatur School District also operates Decatur High School (173 students) and Decatur Middle School (162 students) alongside Decatur Northside Elementary.
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 Northside Elementary compares
Decatur Northside Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
278
Bigger than 29% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 75% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.0%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 43.5%
Hispanic or Latino 43.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Decatur Northside Elementary is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur School District, which includes Decatur Northside Elementary.
$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 Northside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Decatur Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Decatur Northside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 173
- Students per teacher
- 3.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 162
- Students per teacher
- 8.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~278 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decatur Northside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Decatur Northside Elementary 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 Northside Elementary
How many students attend Decatur Northside Elementary?
Decatur Northside Elementary has 278 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decatur, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Decatur Northside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Decatur Northside Elementary is 16.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Decatur Northside Elementary?
100.0% of students at Decatur Northside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decatur Northside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Decatur Northside Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 43.5% of enrollment, in Decatur, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decatur Northside Elementary?
Decatur Northside Elementary 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 Decatur Northside Elementary rank among public schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur Northside Elementary ranks #2 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 Northside Elementary a good school?
Decatur Northside Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Northside Elementary, Decatur School District also operates Decatur High School (173 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.