Enrollment
417
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 050459001248
Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School — Conway, AR
Federal NCES profile for Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 25
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Conway School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School reports 417 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 32% above the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 62.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% above the Arkansas average and 21% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 417 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Conway School District spends $12,793 per pupil district-wide, below the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.6% from local sources (property taxes), 40.3% from the state, and 21.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.7% | ▲ 6% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 54% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
62.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% 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
18:1
students per teacher
— 32% above state mean
Top 88% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,793
per pupil, district-wide
— below Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 417 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 417 Top 54% in Arkansas — larger than 46% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 18:1 +32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 62.7% +6% vs state
NCES ID 050459001248
Student demographics
White 36.2%
African American 28.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 11.8%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 36.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 417:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.2%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conway School District, which includes Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School.
$12,793
Per student
-10%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.3%
Federal 21.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,350
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Conway
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Carl Stuart Middle School
Standard public school
752 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Ruth Doyle Intermediate School
Standard public school
547 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Carolyn Lewis Elementary School
Standard public school
514 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Bob Courtway Middle School
Standard public school
498 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Theodore Jones Elem. School
Standard public school
491 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Ellen Smith Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School
How many students attend Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School?
Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School has 417 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in CONWAY, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School is 18:1, which is 32% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School?
62.7% of students at Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School is White at 36.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in CONWAY, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School?
Preston & Florence Mattison Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.