Enrollment
493
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for Harry C. Morrison Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633000366
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #13 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 29:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 78.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School has class sizes larger than 99% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harry C. Morrison Elem. School ranks #13 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000366 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+113% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.2%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harry C. Morrison Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 493 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 99% of Arkansas schools and 113% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 493 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 42 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #26.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 616 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 Harry C. Morrison 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 Harry C. Morrison Elem. School compares
Harry C. Morrison 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 | 29:1 | ▲ 113% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.2% | ▲ 32% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 493 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
493
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
29:1
students per teacher
- 113% above state mean
Top 99% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
14.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 56.4%
White 16.4%
African American 16.0%
Two or More 6.1%
Asian 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Harry C. Morrison 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 Harry C. Morrison 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 Harry C. Morrison Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harry C. Morrison 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 (~493 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harry C. Morrison Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare Harry C. Morrison 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 Harry C. Morrison Elem. School
How many students attend Harry C. Morrison Elem. School?
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School has 493 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School is 29:1, which is 113% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School?
78.2% of students at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harry C. Morrison Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Harry C. Morrison Elem. School is Hispanic or Latino at 56.4% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harry C. Morrison Elem. School?
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Harry C. Morrison Elem. School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Harry C. Morrison Elem. School ranks #13 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 Harry C. Morrison Elem. School a good school?
Harry C. Morrison Elem. School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Harry C. Morrison 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.