Enrollment
303
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Texarkana, AR
Gary E. Cobb Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Gary E. Cobb Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050411000286
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gary E. Cobb Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Arkansas schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #3 of 7
- elementary schools in Texarkana · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 31.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Gary E. Cobb Middle School has class sizes larger than 79% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gary E. Cobb Middle School ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Texarkana, AR.
School address
District: Genoa Central School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050411000286 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.5%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gary E. Cobb Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gary E. Cobb Middle School
Gary E. Cobb Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Texarkana, Arkansas, enrolling 303 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 303 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 147 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #88.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Genoa Central School District spends $9,674 per pupil, 21% below the Arkansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Genoa Central School District also operates Genoa Central Elem. School (365 students) and Genoa Central Junior High (287 students) alongside Gary E. Cobb Middle 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 Gary E. Cobb Middle School compares
Gary E. Cobb Middle 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 24% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.5% | ▼ 47% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 79% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$9,674
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 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
57
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.1 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 95.4%
Two or More 2.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 95.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.9, Gary E. Cobb Middle School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Genoa Central School District, which includes Gary E. Cobb Middle School.
$9,674
Per student
-21%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 66.9%
Federal 15.0%
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 Gary E. Cobb Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genoa Central Elem. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Genoa Central Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Genoa Central High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gary E. Cobb Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 287
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 258
- Students per teacher
- 7.2:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar elementary 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 (~303 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gary E. Cobb Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Gary E. Cobb Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Genoa 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 Gary E. Cobb Middle School
How many students attend Gary E. Cobb Middle School?
Gary E. Cobb Middle School has 303 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Texarkana, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gary E. Cobb Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gary E. Cobb Middle School is 16.8:1, which is 24% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gary E. Cobb Middle School?
31.5% of students at Gary E. Cobb Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gary E. Cobb Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Gary E. Cobb Middle School is White at 95.4% of enrollment, in Texarkana, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gary E. Cobb Middle School?
Gary E. Cobb Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Gary E. Cobb Middle School rank among elementary schools in Texarkana?
By Resource Investment Index, Gary E. Cobb Middle School ranks #3 of 7 elementary schools in Texarkana, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Texarkana on the city page.
Is Gary E. Cobb Middle School a good school?
Gary E. Cobb Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Arkansas schools. It is also less 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 Genoa Central School District?
Besides Gary E. Cobb Middle School, Genoa Central School District also operates Genoa Central Elem. School (365 students), Genoa Central Junior High (287 students), and Genoa Central High School (258 students). See the Genoa 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.