Enrollment
411
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
Sutton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sutton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633000376
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sutton Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #6 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 77.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sutton Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sutton Elementary School ranks #6 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633000376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sutton Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sutton Elementary School
Sutton Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 411 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 411 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 48 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students) and Southside High School (2,053 students) alongside Sutton 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 Sutton Elementary School compares
Sutton 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.7% | ▲ 31% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
411
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 57% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.4%
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
$12,206
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 57.4%
White 16.3%
African American 9.7%
Two or More 9.7%
Asian 6.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Sutton Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Smith School District, which includes Sutton Elementary School.
$12,206
Per student
0%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.4%
State 44.3%
Federal 20.2%
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 Sutton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sutton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,231
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,053
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~411 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sutton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sutton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Smith 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 Sutton Elementary School
How many students attend Sutton Elementary School?
Sutton Elementary School has 411 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sutton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sutton Elementary School is 14.7:1, which is 8% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sutton Elementary School?
77.7% of students at Sutton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sutton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sutton Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.4% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sutton Elementary School?
Sutton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Sutton Elementary School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Sutton Elementary School ranks #6 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Smith on the city page.
Is Sutton Elementary School a good school?
Sutton Elementary School earns 43/100 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 Fort Smith School District?
Besides Sutton Elementary School, Fort Smith School District also operates Northside High School (2,231 students), Southside High School (2,053 students), and Ramsey Junior High School (801 students). See the Fort Smith 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.