Enrollment
379
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 050519000241
Des Arc Elementary School — Des Arc, AR
Federal NCES profile for Des Arc Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 42/100.
👥 Class size 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 44
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Des Arc School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Des Arc Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Des Arc Elementary School reports 379 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 52.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% below the Arkansas average and 2% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 379 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Des Arc School District spends $12,623 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.9% from local sources (property taxes), 50.3% from the state, and 19.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Des Arc Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 28% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.6% | ▼ 11% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 47% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
52.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
— 28% above state mean
Top 83% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,623
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 379 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 379 Top 47% in Arkansas — larger than 53% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 17.4:1 +28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 52.6% -11% vs state
NCES ID 050519000241
Student demographics
White 88.7%
African American 8.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 379:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.4%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Arc School District, which includes Des Arc Elementary School.
$12,623
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 50.3%
Federal 19.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 279
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
Similar other schools in Des Arc
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Des Arc Elementary School
How many students attend Des Arc Elementary School?
Des Arc Elementary School has 379 students enrolled. It is a other school in DES ARC, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Des Arc Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Des Arc Elementary School is 17.4:1, which is 28% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Des Arc Elementary School?
52.6% of students at Des Arc Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Des Arc Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Des Arc Elementary School is White at 88.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in DES ARC, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Des Arc Elementary School?
Des Arc Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.