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C−

Watson Chapel School District

Public school districtGrades K–12

Pine Bluff’s School Grade D− better than 3% of Arkansas school districts

Students
1,552
Schools
4
Spent per student
$13,120
AR $13,585
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
69%
Debt
$18.2M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Watson Chapel School District

  • Its letter, C−: results better than 16% of Arkansas districts
  • Math proficiency 26 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 25 pts below the state
  • 11 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 16.3% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $18.2M, about $11,711 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C−: better than 16% 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 well below the state, 2021–22
D
GraduationFour-year graduation above the state, class of 2023
B−

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Pine Bluff. Grade by grade →

K–64 schoolsPine Bluff School District
7–9Pine Bluff Junior High SchoolPine Bluff School District
10–12Pine Bluff High SchoolPine Bluff School District

Test scores vs. AR

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency12%
State average 38.3% · 1,167 students tested
Reading / language arts15%
State average 39.9% · 1,167 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)90–94%
State average 89.9% · 152 in the class

98% 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
$13,120 per student · 3% below AR
Spending
Classroom instruction 45%Support & administration 49%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 13%State 74%Federal 13%

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

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

Enrollment over time
1,854’20
1,678’21
1,558’22
1,725’23
1,552’24

Down 16.3% since 2020–21.

Students
Black 88%White 8%Hispanic 2%Two or more races 1%Asian <1%

Schools in the district

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

Edgewood Elementary School
Elementary · Grades K–1 · Pine Bluff
199 students14:1
Coleman Elementary School
Elementary · Grades 2–5 · Pine Bluff
D
426 students14:1
Watson Chapel Junior High School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Pine Bluff
D
334 students10:1
Watson Chapel High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Pine Bluff
D−
593 students9:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

White Hall School DistrictWhite Hall
$10,946per 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.