Enrollment
220
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Little Rock, AR
Lawson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lawson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051185000928
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawson Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #9 of 24
- schools in Little Rock · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawson Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawson Elementary School ranks #9 of 24 schools in Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. · Arkansas
NCES ID 051185000928 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawson Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawson Elementary School
Lawson Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 220 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 220 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 127 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #73.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 220 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. spends $14,894 per pupil, 22% above the Arkansas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Little Rock's public schools, it stands alongside Rockefeller Early Childhood Center (317 students): Lawson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 22.6:1).
Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. also operates Sylvan Hills High School (1,120 students) and Joe T. Robinson High School (1,030 students) alongside Lawson Elementary 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 Lawson Elementary School compares
Lawson Elementary 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 68% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 220 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
220
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 36% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$14,894
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 220 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 42.7%
African American 29.5%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
Two or More 3.2%
Largest group: White at 42.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.0, Lawson Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist., which includes Lawson Elementary School.
$14,894
Per student
+22%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 16.6%
Federal 20.4%
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 Lawson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Hills High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joe T. Robinson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maumelle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sylvan Hills Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,120
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 869
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Little Rock
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~220 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lawson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.'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 Lawson Elementary School
How many students attend Lawson Elementary School?
Lawson Elementary School has 220 students enrolled. It is a public school in Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawson Elementary School is 12.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 22% 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 Lawson Elementary School?
99.5% of students at Lawson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lawson Elementary School is White at 42.7% of enrollment, in Little Rock, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawson Elementary School?
Lawson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Lawson Elementary School rank among schools in Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawson Elementary School ranks #9 of 24 schools in Little Rock, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Little Rock on the city page.
Is Lawson Elementary School a good school?
Lawson Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.?
Besides Lawson Elementary School, Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. also operates Sylvan Hills High School (1,120 students), Joe T. Robinson High School (1,030 students), and Maumelle High School (869 students). See the Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist. 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.