Enrollment
343
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Smith, AR
Tilles Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tilles Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 050633001251
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tilles Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #12 of 18
- schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 83.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tilles Elementary School has class sizes larger than 99% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tilles Elementary School ranks #12 of 18 schools in Fort Smith, AR.
School address
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050633001251 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+80% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tilles Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tilles Elementary School
Tilles Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, enrolling 343 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 99% of Arkansas schools and 80% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 83.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 343 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #20.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Tilles 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 Tilles Elementary School compares
Tilles 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 | 24.5:1 | ▲ 80% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.7% | ▲ 41% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 80% above state mean
Top 99% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
20.4%
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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 51.0%
White 26.8%
African American 13.1%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.5, Tilles 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 Tilles 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 Tilles 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 | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dora Kimmons Jr. High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tilles 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 (~343 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tilles Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tilles 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 Tilles Elementary School
How many students attend Tilles Elementary School?
Tilles Elementary School has 343 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Smith, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tilles Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tilles Elementary School is 24.5:1, which is 80% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tilles Elementary School?
83.7% of students at Tilles Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tilles Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tilles Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.0% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tilles Elementary School?
Tilles Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Tilles Elementary School rank among schools in Fort Smith?
By Resource Investment Index, Tilles Elementary School ranks #12 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 Tilles Elementary School a good school?
Tilles Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Fort Smith School District?
Besides Tilles 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.