Enrollment
398
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Searcy, AR
Westside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Westside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 051221001444
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westside Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Searcy · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Westside Elementary School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westside Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR.
School address
District: Searcy School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051221001444 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westside Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westside Elementary School
Westside Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Searcy, Arkansas, enrolling 398 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 27.4% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Arkansas average.
With 398 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 181 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 311 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students) and Southwest Middle School (913 students) alongside Westside 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 Westside Elementary School compares
Westside 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 54% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
398
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 57% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,738
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 311 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
White 76.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Two or More 8.3%
African American 5.5%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Westside Elementary School is about as mixed as the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Searcy School District, which includes Westside Elementary School.
$10,738
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 35.7%
Federal 21.9%
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 Westside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searcy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwest Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ahlf Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcrae Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sidney Deener Elem. School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary 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 (~398 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Westside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Searcy 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 Westside Elementary School
How many students attend Westside Elementary School?
Westside Elementary School has 398 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Searcy, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westside Elementary School is 14.7:1, which is 8% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Westside Elementary School?
27.4% of students at Westside Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Westside Elementary School is White at 76.4% of enrollment, in Searcy, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westside Elementary School?
Westside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Westside Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Searcy?
By Resource Investment Index, Westside Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Searcy on the city page.
Is Westside Elementary School a good school?
Westside Elementary School earns 52/100 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 Searcy School District?
Besides Westside Elementary School, Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students), Southwest Middle School (913 students), and Ahlf Junior High School (576 students). See the Searcy 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.