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B−

Fort Smith Public Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves Fort Smith and Barling.

Fort Smith’s School Grade B+ better than 65% of Arkansas school districts

Students
14,045
Schools
26
Spent per student
$13,857
AR $13,585
Students per teacher
14:1
Free or reduced lunch
73%
Debt
$167.7M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Fort Smith Public Schools

  • Its letter, B−: results better than 52% of Arkansas districts
  • 14 students per teacher
  • Debt of $167.7M, about $11,941 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B−: better than 52% of the 261 Arkansas school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math below the state, 2021–22
B−
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Fort Smith 90,855B−Barling 5,452

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Fort Smith. Grade by grade →

PK–517 elementary schoolsThis district
6–84 middle schoolsThis district
9–122 high schoolsThis district

Test scores vs. AR

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency36%
State average 38.3% · 8,561 students tested
Reading / language arts39%
State average 39.9% · 8,533 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)89%
State average 89.9% · 1,057 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$13,857 per student · 2% above AR
Spending
Classroom instruction 50%Support & administration 44%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 14%State 64%Federal 21%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
14,023’20
14,109’21
14,027’22
13,941’23
14,045’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
Hispanic 37%White 36%Two or more races 12%Black 10%Asian 5%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

26 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Arkansas’s other public schools.

Fairview Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
B+
582 students18:1
John P. Woods Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A+
514 students19:1
Sunnymede Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C
510 students19:1
Harry C. Morrison Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C−
493 students19:1
Elmer H. Cook Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A
459 students19:1
Sutton Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C−
411 students15:1
Euper Lane Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A
397 students16:1
Park Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C−
387 students19:1
Tilles Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C+
343 students19:1
Barling Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Barling
B+
316 students18:1
Spradling Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C
307 students18:1
Cavanaugh Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A
303 students17:1
Howard Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
C−
299 students19:1
Beard Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A−
297 students15:1
Bonneville Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
A−
287 students19:1
Ballman Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
B
286 students19:1
Carnall Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Fort Smith
B−
172 students19:1
Raymond F. Orr Elementary School
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Fort Smith
B−
235 students17:1
Ramsey Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Fort Smith
B+
801 students14:1
Dora Kimmons Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Fort Smith
C
753 students15:1
L. A. Chaffin Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Fort Smith
A
753 students14:1
William O. Darby Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Fort Smith
C
711 students12:1
Fort Smith Virtual Academy
High · Grades 6–12 · Fort Smith
106 students8:1
Belle Point Alternative Center
High · Grades 6–12 · Fort Smith
D−
39 students4:1
Northside High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Fort Smith
D
2,231 students11:1
Southside High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Fort Smith
B+
2,053 students11:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Arkoma Public SchoolsArkoma
$13,651per student
Lavaca Public SchoolsCentral City
$12,750per student
Van Buren School DistrictVan Buren
$11,711per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Arkansas.