Enrollment
781
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Malvern, AR
Malvern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Malvern Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050924001366
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Malvern Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Malvern · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 60.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Malvern Elementary School has class sizes larger than 85% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Malvern Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Malvern, AR.
School address
District: Malvern School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050924001366 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.9%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Malvern Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Malvern Elementary School
Malvern Elementary School is a higher-need, large elementary school in Malvern, Arkansas, enrolling 781 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 92% of state schools at 781 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 96 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #46.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 391 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Malvern School District also operates Malvern High School (559 students) and Wilson Intermediate School (272 students) alongside Malvern 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 Malvern Elementary School compares
Malvern 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 31% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.9% | ▲ 3% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 781 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
781
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 85% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$13,071
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 391 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 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
White 50.1%
African American 23.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 12.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 50.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Malvern 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 Malvern School District, which includes Malvern Elementary School.
$13,071
Per student
+7%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.1%
State 39.4%
Federal 23.5%
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 Malvern Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malvern High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilson Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Malvern Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Malvern Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 7.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary 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 (~781 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Malvern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Malvern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Malvern 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 Malvern Elementary School
How many students attend Malvern Elementary School?
Malvern Elementary School has 781 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Malvern, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Malvern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Malvern Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 31% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Malvern Elementary School?
60.9% of students at Malvern Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Malvern Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Malvern Elementary School is White at 50.1% of enrollment, in Malvern, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Malvern Elementary School?
Malvern Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Malvern Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Malvern?
By Resource Investment Index, Malvern Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Malvern, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Malvern on the city page.
Is Malvern Elementary School a good school?
Malvern Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Malvern School District?
Besides Malvern Elementary School, Malvern School District also operates Malvern High School (559 students), Wilson Intermediate School (272 students), and Malvern Junior High School (264 students). See the Malvern 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.