Enrollment
367
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pine Bluff, AR
Matthews Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Matthews Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050002600251
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Matthews Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #6 of 9
- elementary schools in Pine Bluff · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Matthews Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Matthews Elementary School ranks #6 of 9 elementary schools in Pine Bluff, AR.
School address
District: Pine Bluff School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050002600251 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Matthews Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Matthews Elementary School
Matthews Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, enrolling 367 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 367 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #125, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 367 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pine Bluff School District spends $15,873 per pupil, 30% above the Arkansas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 26.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 192 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 367 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Pine Bluff School District also operates Pine Bluff High School (688 students) and Jack Robey Jr. High School (594 students) alongside Matthews 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 Matthews Elementary School compares
Matthews 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 40% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.4%
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
$15,873
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 367 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
104
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.3 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
African American 91.6%
White 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.9, Matthews Elementary School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pine Bluff School District, which includes Matthews Elementary School.
$15,873
Per student
+30%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.3%
State 38.1%
Federal 26.6%
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.
How Matthews Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Bluff High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jack Robey Jr. High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thirty-Fourth Ave. Elem. Sch. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwood Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Broadmoor Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Matthews Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 399
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~367 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Matthews Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Matthews Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Pine Bluff 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 Matthews Elementary School
How many students attend Matthews Elementary School?
Matthews Elementary School has 367 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Matthews Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Matthews Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 7% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 19% 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 Matthews Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Matthews Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Matthews Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Matthews Elementary School is African American at 91.6% of enrollment, in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Matthews Elementary School?
Matthews Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Matthews Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Pine Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Matthews Elementary School ranks #6 of 9 elementary schools in Pine Bluff, 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 Pine Bluff on the city page.
Is Matthews Elementary School a good school?
Matthews Elementary School earns 36/100 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 Pine Bluff School District?
Besides Matthews Elementary School, Pine Bluff School District also operates Pine Bluff High School (688 students), Jack Robey Jr. High School (594 students), and Thirty-Fourth Ave. Elem. Sch. (399 students). See the Pine Bluff 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.