Enrollment
459
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for Elmer H. Cook Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633000359
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #5 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School has class sizes larger than 88% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elmer H. Cook Elem. School ranks #5 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elmer H. Cook Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 459 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Arkansas schools and 35% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.4% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #149.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Two or More (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students) and Southside High School (2,053 students) alongside Elmer H. Cook 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 Elmer H. Cook Elem. School compares
Elmer H. Cook 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 35% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▼ 22% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 88% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$12,206
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
Counselors1.7 FTE
Per 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 52.7%
Two or More 20.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.4%
African American 7.8%
Asian 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 52.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, Elmer H. Cook 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 Fort Smith School District, which includes Elmer H. Cook Elem. School.
$12,206
Per student
0%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 44.3%
Federal 20.2%
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 Elmer H. Cook Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elmer H. Cook Elem. School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,231
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,053
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~459 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elmer H. Cook Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare Elmer H. Cook Elem. School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Smith 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 Elmer H. Cook Elem. School
How many students attend Elmer H. Cook Elem. School?
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School has 459 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School is 18.4:1, which is 35% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School?
46.4% of students at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elmer H. Cook Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Elmer H. Cook Elem. School is White at 52.7% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elmer H. Cook Elem. School?
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Elmer H. Cook Elem. School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Elmer H. Cook Elem. School ranks #5 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Smith on the city page.
Is Elmer H. Cook Elem. School a good school?
Elmer H. Cook Elem. School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Fort Smith School District?
Besides Elmer H. Cook Elem. School, Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students), Southside High School (2,053 students), and Ramsey Junior High School (801 students). See the Fort Smith 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.