Enrollment
483
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Springdale, AR
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School
Federal NCES profile for Thurman G. Smith Elem. School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051266001260
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #11 of 22
- schools in Springdale · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School has class sizes larger than 86% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thurman G. Smith Elem. School ranks #11 of 22 schools in Springdale, AR.
School address
District: Springdale School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051266001260 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thurman G. Smith Elem. School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Springdale, Arkansas, enrolling 483 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 86% of Arkansas schools and 32% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.8% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 483 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.
Against 275 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #188.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 483 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Springdale School District also operates Har-Ber High School (2,271 students) and Springdale High School (2,207 students) alongside Thurman G. Smith 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 Thurman G. Smith Elem. School compares
Thurman G. Smith 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▼ 14% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 86% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$11,376
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 483 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 55.9%
White 26.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 9.7%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Thurman G. Smith 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 Springdale School District, which includes Thurman G. Smith Elem. School.
$11,376
Per student
-7%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 52.5%
Federal 18.5%
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 Thurman G. Smith Elem. School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Har-Ber High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Springdale High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Springdale School of Innovations | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hunt Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thurman G. Smith Elem. School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,207
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,976
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 890
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~483 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thurman G. Smith Elem. School's federal record.
- Compare Thurman G. Smith Elem. School against another school. Compare schools
- Springdale 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 Thurman G. Smith Elem. School
How many students attend Thurman G. Smith Elem. School?
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School has 483 students enrolled. It is a public school in Springdale, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School is 17.9:1, which is 32% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School?
50.8% of students at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thurman G. Smith Elem. School?
The largest demographic group at Thurman G. Smith Elem. School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.9% of enrollment, in Springdale, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thurman G. Smith Elem. School?
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Thurman G. Smith Elem. School rank among schools in Springdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Thurman G. Smith Elem. School ranks #11 of 22 schools in Springdale, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Springdale on the city page.
Is Thurman G. Smith Elem. School a good school?
Thurman G. Smith Elem. School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Springdale School District?
Besides Thurman G. Smith Elem. School, Springdale School District also operates Har-Ber High School (2,271 students), Springdale High School (2,207 students), and Springdale School of Innovations (1,976 students). See the Springdale 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.