Enrollment
459
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 051341001369
James R. Tate Elem. School — Van Buren, AR
Federal NCES profile for James R. Tate Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 26/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Van Buren School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James R. Tate Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
James R. Tate Elem. School reports 459 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 40% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 19% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% below the Arkansas average and 6% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 459 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 43.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Van Buren School District spends $13,458 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 28.9% from local sources (property taxes), 49.4% from the state, and 21.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James R. Tate Elem. School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 40% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▼ 8% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 61% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% 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
19:1
students per teacher
— 40% above state mean
Top 93% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,458
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 459 Top 61% in Arkansas — larger than 39% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 19:1 +40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.7% -8% vs state
NCES ID 051341001369
Student demographics
White 69.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 459:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 43.4%
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Buren School District, which includes James R. Tate Elem. School.
$13,458
Per student
-6%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 49.4%
Federal 21.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
Similar other schools in Van Buren
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about James R. Tate Elem. School
How many students attend James R. Tate Elem. School?
James R. Tate Elem. School has 459 students enrolled. It is a other school in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James R. Tate Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at James R. Tate Elem. School is 19:1, which is 40% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 19% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James R. Tate Elem. School?
54.7% of students at James R. Tate Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James R. Tate Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at James R. Tate Elem. School is White at 69.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in VAN BUREN, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James R. Tate Elem. School?
James R. Tate Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.