Enrollment
414
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Little Rock, AR
M.L. King Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for M.L. King Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050900000176
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
M.L. King Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Arkansas schools.
- #20 of 24
- schools in Little Rock · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 75.1%
- free-lunch eligible
M.L. King Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, M.L. King Elementary School ranks #20 of 24 schools in Little Rock, AR.
School address
District: Little Rock School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050900000176 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How M.L. King Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at M.L. King Elementary School
M.L. King Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 414 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 75.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 414 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,066 Arkansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 63 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #57, 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 access is stretched at roughly 828 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.7% 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): M.L. King Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 22.6:1).
Little Rock School District also operates Central High School (2,371 students) and Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students) alongside M.L. King 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 M.L. King Elementary School compares
M.L. King 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 22% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.1% | ▲ 27% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 414 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
414
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 77% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.8%
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
$14,597
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 91.8%
Two or More 3.1%
White 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, M.L. King 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 Little Rock School District, which includes M.L. King Elementary School.
$14,597
Per student
+19%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 26.7%
Federal 20.7%
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 M.L. King Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Little Rock Southwest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkview Magnet High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Don Roberts Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chicot Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to M.L. King Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,371
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~414 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on M.L. King Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare M.L. King Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Little Rock 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 M.L. King Elementary School
How many students attend M.L. King Elementary School?
M.L. King Elementary School has 414 students enrolled. It is a public school in Little Rock, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at M.L. King Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at M.L. King Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 22% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at M.L. King Elementary School?
75.1% of students at M.L. King Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of M.L. King Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at M.L. King Elementary School is African American at 91.8% of enrollment, in Little Rock, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for M.L. King Elementary School?
M.L. King Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 M.L. King Elementary School rank among schools in Little Rock?
By Resource Investment Index, M.L. King Elementary School ranks #20 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 M.L. King Elementary School a good school?
M.L. King Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of 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 Little Rock School District?
Besides M.L. King Elementary School, Little Rock School District also operates Central High School (2,371 students), Little Rock Southwest High School (2,045 students), and Parkview Magnet High School (1,072 students). See the Little Rock 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.