Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fort Smith, AR

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.

Federal NCES profile for William O. Darby Jr. High Sch., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 050633000360
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
40
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
29
📋 Attendance
10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.

#3 of 4
middle schools in Fort Smith · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
15.1:1
students per teacher
75.1%
free-lunch eligible

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Fort Smith, AR.

School address

Fort Smith, AR 72901
District: Fort Smith School District · Arkansas

NCES ID 050633000360 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+20 students YoY

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. held near 720 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+20 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 47.8 → 49.7 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+20 students YoY 050633000360 · Fort Smith, AR Middle · MID · TRAD

711 enr · 15.1:1 · 75.1% lunch · RII 37

Nearest enrollment peer: Northside High School (2,231 students)

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. held near 720 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+20 headcount). Teacher FTE added 47.8 → 49.7 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Arkansas schools → · Find another →

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. reports 711 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. compares

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Arkansas and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Arkansas Arkansas avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.1:1 ▲ 11% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 75.1% ▲ 27% 59.2% 51.7%
Enrollment 711 top 12% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
711
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
75.1%
free-lunch eligible - 27% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher - 11% above state mean
Top 61% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.9%
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
$12,459
per pupil, district-wide - below Arkansas avg of $12,818
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
300
in-school suspensions + 234 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 42.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 75.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 49.6%
White 29.8%
Two or More 9.7%
African American 8.9%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 64.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Fort Smith School District reports $12,459 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. 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 Similar size Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
L. a. Chaffin Jr. High School Similar size Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Dora Kimmons Jr. High School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Fort Smith School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~711 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)

Frequently asked questions about William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.

How many students attend William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.?

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. has 711 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fort Smith, AR. CCD year-over-year: 700 (2022-23) → 720 (2023-24), nearly flat (+20).

What is the student-teacher ratio at William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.?

The student-teacher ratio at William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. is 15.1:1, which is 11% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.?

75.1% of students at William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.?

The largest demographic group at William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. is Hispanic or Latino at 49.6% of enrollment, in Fort Smith, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for William O. Darby Jr. High Sch.?

William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. rank among middle schools in Fort Smith?

By Resource Investment Index, William O. Darby Jr. High Sch. ranks #3 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in Fort Smith on the city page.

What other schools are in Fort Smith School District?

Besides William O. Darby Jr. High Sch., 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .