Enrollment
562
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Monticello, AR
Drew Central Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for Drew Central Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050547000258
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Drew Central Elem. School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Arkansas schools.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Monticello · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Drew Central Elem. School has class sizes larger than 84% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Drew Central Elem. School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Monticello, AR.
School address
District: Drew Central School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050547000258 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Drew Central Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Drew Central Elem. School
Drew Central Elem. School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Monticello, Arkansas, enrolling 562 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 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 562 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 562 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Drew Central School District also operates Drew Central Middle School (360 students) and Drew Central High School (340 students) alongside Drew Central Elem. 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 Drew Central Elem. School compares
Drew Central Elem. 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 562 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
562
Bigger than 69% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 84% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,308
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 562 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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
White 63.3%
African American 25.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.0, Drew Central Elem. School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Drew Central School District, which includes Drew Central Elem. School.
$11,308
Per student
-8%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.1%
State 53.6%
Federal 21.3%
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 Drew Central Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Drew Central High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Drew Central Elem. School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~562 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Drew Central Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare Drew Central Elem. School against another school. Compare schools
- Drew Central 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 Drew Central Elem. School
How many students attend Drew Central Elem. School?
Drew Central Elem. School has 562 students enrolled. It is a public school in Monticello, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Drew Central Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Drew Central Elem. School is 17.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Drew Central Elem. School?
100.0% of students at Drew Central Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Drew Central Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Drew Central Elem. School is White at 63.3% of enrollment, in Monticello, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Drew Central Elem. School?
Drew Central Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Drew Central Elem. School rank among public schools in Monticello?
By Resource Investment Index, Drew Central Elem. School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Monticello, 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 Monticello on the city page.
Is Drew Central Elem. School a good school?
Drew Central Elem. School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of 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 Drew Central School District?
Besides Drew Central Elem. School, Drew Central School District also operates Drew Central Middle School (360 students) and Drew Central High School (340 students). See the Drew Central 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.