Enrollment
491
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Conway, AR
Theodore Jones Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for Theodore Jones Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050459000081
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Theodore Jones Elem. School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #14 of 14
- elementary schools in Conway · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 55.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Theodore Jones Elem. School has class sizes larger than 90% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Theodore Jones Elem. School ranks #14 of 14 elementary schools in Conway, AR.
School address
District: Conway School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050459000081 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Theodore Jones Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Theodore Jones Elem. School
Theodore Jones Elem. School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Conway, Arkansas, enrolling 491 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Arkansas schools and 39% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.1% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 491 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 252 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #216, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 491 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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.
Conway School District also operates Conway High West (2,350 students) and Conway Junior High School (1,568 students) alongside Theodore Jones Elem. 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School compares
Theodore Jones Elem. 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 | 18.9:1 | ▲ 39% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.1% | ▼ 7% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 90% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$11,673
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 491 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 41.5%
White 33.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 10.8%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 41.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Theodore Jones Elem. School 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School.
$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 Theodore Jones Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway High West | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Conway Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl Stuart Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruth Doyle Intermediate School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carolyn Lewis Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Theodore Jones Elem. School'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 (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Theodore Jones Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare Theodore Jones Elem. School 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School
How many students attend Theodore Jones Elem. School?
Theodore Jones Elem. School has 491 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Conway, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Theodore Jones Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Theodore Jones Elem. School is 18.9:1, which is 39% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Theodore Jones Elem. School?
55.1% of students at Theodore Jones Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Theodore Jones Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Theodore Jones Elem. School is African American at 41.5% of enrollment, in Conway, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Theodore Jones Elem. School?
Theodore Jones Elem. 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School rank among elementary schools in Conway?
By Resource Investment Index, Theodore Jones Elem. School ranks #14 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School a good school?
Theodore Jones Elem. School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Arkansas schools. 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 Theodore Jones Elem. School, 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.