Enrollment
461
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 050804000529
West Junior High School — West Memphis, AR
Federal NCES profile for West Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 36
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: West Memphis School District · Arkansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Junior High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Junior High School reports 461 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% below the Arkansas state mean of 13.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 20% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 69% above the Arkansas average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 231 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 25.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding West Memphis School District spends $18,959 per pupil district-wide, above the Arkansas average of $14,269 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 17.5% from local sources (property taxes), 55.9% from the state, and 26.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Junior High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Arkansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 69% | 59.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 61% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
12.7:1
students per teacher
— 7% below state mean
Top 37% in Arkansas — lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
25.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,959
per pupil, district-wide
— above Arkansas avg of $14,269
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 231 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 461 Top 61% in Arkansas — larger than 39% of 1,069 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 12.7:1 -7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +69% vs state
NCES ID 050804000529
Student demographics
African American 70.1%
White 25.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Two or More 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 70.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 231:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 25.8%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 33
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Memphis School District, which includes West Junior High School.
$18,959
Per student
+33%
vs Arkansas
Avg $14,269
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 55.9%
Federal 26.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 7.7:1
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
Similar other schools in West Memphis
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Marion Visual & Performing Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
762 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Jackson/Wonder Elementary School
Standard public school
554 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Faulk Elementary School
Standard public school
523 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Wonder Junior High School
Standard public school
511 students 10:1 students per teacher
East Junior High School
Standard public school
263 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Junior High School
How many students attend West Junior High School?
West Junior High School has 461 students enrolled. It is a other school in WEST MEMPHIS, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Junior High School is 12.7:1, which is 7% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Junior High School?
100.0% of students at West Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at West Junior High School is African American at 70.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in WEST MEMPHIS, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Junior High School?
West Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.