Enrollment
334
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pine Bluff, AR
Watson Chapel Jr. High School
Federal NCES profile for Watson Chapel Jr. High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 051393001212
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watson Chapel Jr. High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Arkansas schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Pine Bluff · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Arkansas
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Watson Chapel Jr. High School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Chapel Jr. High School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Pine Bluff, AR.
School address
District: Watson Chapel School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051393001212 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watson Chapel Jr. High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watson Chapel Jr. High School
Watson Chapel Jr. High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, enrolling 334 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 8.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 100.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 334 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #46.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 223 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.4% 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: 123 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 334 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 Watson Chapel High School (593 students) and Coleman Elementary School (426 students) alongside Watson Chapel Jr. 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 Jr. High School compares
Watson Chapel Jr. 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 35% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
334
Bigger than 37% 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 17% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.4%
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
$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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 223 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
64
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.8 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 89.8%
White 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Asian 0.9%
Two or More 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Watson Chapel Jr. High School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watson Chapel School District, which includes Watson Chapel Jr. 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 Jr. High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watson Chapel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coleman Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| L. L. Owen Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watson Chapel Jr. High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar 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 (~334 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watson Chapel Jr. High School's federal record.
- Compare Watson Chapel Jr. 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 Jr. High School
How many students attend Watson Chapel Jr. High School?
Watson Chapel Jr. High School has 334 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watson Chapel Jr. High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watson Chapel Jr. High School is 8.8:1, which is 35% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 44% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watson Chapel Jr. High School?
100.0% of students at Watson Chapel Jr. 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 Jr. High School?
The largest demographic group at Watson Chapel Jr. High School is African American at 89.8% of enrollment, in Pine Bluff, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watson Chapel Jr. High School?
Watson Chapel Jr. High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Watson Chapel Jr. High School rank among schools in Pine Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Watson Chapel Jr. High School ranks #4 of 5 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 schools in Pine Bluff on the city page.
Is Watson Chapel Jr. High School a good school?
Watson Chapel Jr. High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of 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 Watson Chapel School District?
Besides Watson Chapel Jr. High School, Watson Chapel School District also operates Watson Chapel High School (593 students), Coleman Elementary School (426 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.