Enrollment
514
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
John P. Woods Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for John P. Woods Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633000378
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John P. Woods Elem. School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #9 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 30.4%
- free-lunch eligible
John P. Woods Elem. School has class sizes larger than 95% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John P. Woods Elem. School ranks #9 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000378 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.4%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John P. Woods Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at John P. Woods Elem. School
John P. Woods Elem. School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 514 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.8:1 is larger than about 95% of Arkansas schools and 46% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 514 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 224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #138.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 395 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 John P. Woods 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 John P. Woods Elem. School compares
John P. Woods 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 46% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.4% | ▼ 49% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 95% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 395 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 53.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
Two or More 14.6%
Asian 10.9%
African American 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 53.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, John P. Woods 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 John P. Woods 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 John P. Woods 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 | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Larger | Higher 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 John P. Woods 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 (~514 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John P. Woods Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare John P. Woods 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 John P. Woods Elem. School
How many students attend John P. Woods Elem. School?
John P. Woods Elem. School has 514 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John P. Woods Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at John P. Woods Elem. School is 19.8:1, which is 46% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John P. Woods Elem. School?
30.4% of students at John P. Woods Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John P. Woods Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at John P. Woods Elem. School is White at 53.9% 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 John P. Woods Elem. School?
John P. Woods Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 John P. Woods Elem. School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, John P. Woods Elem. School ranks #9 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 John P. Woods Elem. School a good school?
John P. Woods Elem. School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 John P. Woods 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.