Enrollment
459
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Conway, AR
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050459001198
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #1 of 14
- elementary schools in Conway · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 50.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate ranks #1 of 14 elementary schools in Conway, AR.
School address
District: Conway School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050459001198 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Conway, Arkansas, enrolling 459 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.6% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 278 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 136 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 459 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Conway School District also operates Conway High West (2,350 students) and Conway Junior High School (1,568 students) alongside Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate.
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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate compares
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.6% | ▼ 15% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 33% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,673
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
97
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 47.1%
African American 31.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 3.5%
Largest group: White at 47.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.0, Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conway School District, which includes Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate.
$11,673
Per student
-5%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway High West | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conway Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carl Stuart Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ruth Doyle Intermediate School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carolyn Lewis Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,350
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~459 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Conway 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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate
How many students attend Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate?
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate has 459 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Conway, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate is 11.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 25% 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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate?
50.6% of students at Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate is White at 47.1% of enrollment, in Conway, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate?
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate rank among elementary schools in Conway?
By Resource Investment Index, Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate ranks #1 of 14 elementary schools in Conway, 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 Conway on the city page.
Is Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate a good school?
Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Conway School District?
Besides Ray/Phyllis Simon Intermediate, Conway School District also operates Conway High West (2,350 students), Conway Junior High School (1,568 students), and Carl Stuart Middle School (752 students). See the Conway 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.