Enrollment
593
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pine Bluff, AR
Watson Chapel High School
Federal NCES profile for Watson Chapel High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 051393001140
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watson Chapel High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Pine Bluff · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Watson Chapel High School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Chapel High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Pine Bluff, AR.
School address
District: Watson Chapel School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051393001140 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watson Chapel High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watson Chapel High School
Watson Chapel High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, enrolling 593 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 593 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 111 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 154 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 593 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Watson Chapel School District also operates Coleman Elementary School (426 students) and Watson Chapel Jr. High School (334 students) alongside Watson Chapel High 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 Watson Chapel High School compares
Watson Chapel High 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 593 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
593
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 49% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.5%
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
$13,476
per pupil, district-wide
- above Arkansas avg of $12,251
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 89.5%
White 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Asian 1.2%
Two or More 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 89.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.5, Watson Chapel High School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watson Chapel School District, which includes Watson Chapel High School.
$13,476
Per student
+10%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.8%
State 57.0%
Federal 28.3%
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 Watson Chapel High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watson Chapel Jr. High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| L. L. Owen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watson Chapel High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high 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 (~593 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watson Chapel High School's federal record.
- Compare Watson Chapel High School against another school. Compare schools
- Watson Chapel 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 Watson Chapel High School
How many students attend Watson Chapel High School?
Watson Chapel High School has 593 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watson Chapel High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watson Chapel High School is 13.8:1, which is 1% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watson Chapel High School?
100.0% of students at Watson Chapel High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watson Chapel High School?
The largest demographic group at Watson Chapel High School is African American at 89.5% of enrollment, in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watson Chapel High School?
Watson Chapel High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watson Chapel High School rank among high schools in Pine Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Chapel High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Pine Bluff, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Pine Bluff on the city page.
Is Watson Chapel High School a good school?
Watson Chapel High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Watson Chapel School District?
Besides Watson Chapel High School, Watson Chapel School District also operates Coleman Elementary School (426 students), Watson Chapel Jr. High School (334 students), and L. L. Owen Elementary School (238 students). See the Watson Chapel 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.