Enrollment
676
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Springdale, AR
Helen Tyson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Helen Tyson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 051266000237
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helen Tyson Middle School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Springdale · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Helen Tyson Middle School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Tyson Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Springdale, AR.
School address
District: Springdale School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051266000237 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helen Tyson Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helen Tyson Middle School
Helen Tyson Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Springdale, Arkansas, enrolling 676 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 676 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 99 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (58%) and White (22%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 174 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 676 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Springdale School District also operates Har-Ber High School (2,271 students) and Springdale High School (2,207 students) alongside Helen Tyson 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 Helen Tyson Middle School compares
Helen Tyson 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 13% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 676 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
676
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$11,376
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
89
in-school suspensions + 85 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.7 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 58.0%
White 21.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 13.5%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 58.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.7, Helen Tyson Middle School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springdale School District, which includes Helen Tyson Middle School.
$11,376
Per student
-7%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 52.5%
Federal 18.5%
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 Helen Tyson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Har-Ber High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Springdale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Springdale School of Innovations | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hunt Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helen Tyson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,207
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,976
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar middle 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 (~676 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helen Tyson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Helen Tyson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Springdale 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 Helen Tyson Middle School
How many students attend Helen Tyson Middle School?
Helen Tyson Middle School has 676 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Springdale, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen Tyson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helen Tyson Middle School is 11.9:1, which is 12% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helen Tyson Middle School?
66.8% of students at Helen Tyson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helen Tyson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Helen Tyson Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 58.0% of enrollment, in Springdale, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helen Tyson Middle School?
Helen Tyson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Helen Tyson Middle School rank among middle schools in Springdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Helen Tyson Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Springdale, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Springdale on the city page.
Is Helen Tyson Middle School a good school?
Helen Tyson Middle School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Springdale School District?
Besides Helen Tyson Middle School, Springdale School District also operates Har-Ber High School (2,271 students), Springdale High School (2,207 students), and Springdale School of Innovations (1,976 students). See the Springdale 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.