Enrollment
393
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mena, AR
Mena Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mena Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 050975000714
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mena Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Mena · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 48.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Mena Middle School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mena Middle School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Mena, AR.
School address
District: Mena School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050975000714 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.8%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mena Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mena Middle School
Mena Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Mena, Arkansas, enrolling 393 students.
At 13.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Arkansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.8% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 393 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 283 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #255, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 121 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 393 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Mena School District also operates Mena High School (503 students) and Holly Harshman Elem. School (438 students) alongside Mena Middle 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 Mena Middle School compares
Mena Middle 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.8% | ▼ 18% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
393
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 43% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
53.2%
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
$11,976
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
104
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 86.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.9, Mena Middle School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mena School District, which includes Mena Middle School.
$11,976
Per student
-2%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.4%
State 43.5%
Federal 28.1%
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 Mena Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mena High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Holly Harshman Elem. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Louise Durham Elem. School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Polk County Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Mena Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 8.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 12
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 89/100
Similar middle 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 (~393 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mena Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mena Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Mena 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 Mena Middle School
How many students attend Mena Middle School?
Mena Middle School has 393 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mena, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mena Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mena Middle School is 13.1:1, which is 4% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 17% 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 Mena Middle School?
48.8% of students at Mena Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mena Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mena Middle School is White at 86.3% of enrollment, in Mena, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mena Middle School?
Mena Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Mena Middle School rank among public schools in Mena?
By Resource Investment Index, Mena Middle School ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Mena, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Mena on the city page.
Is Mena Middle School a good school?
Mena Middle School earns 33/100 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 Mena School District?
Besides Mena Middle School, Mena School District also operates Mena High School (503 students), Holly Harshman Elem. School (438 students), and Louise Durham Elem. School (357 students). See the Mena 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.