FORT SMITH SCHOOL DISTRICT serves 14,291 students across Sebastian County as a city-based system operating 27 schools: 20 elementary, 4 middle, and 3 high schools. The district experienced a 0.5% enrollment decline from the prior year, suggesting relative stability in a moderately sized system. With 1,002 teachers, the student-teacher ratio of 14.3:1 aligns closely with standard district metrics.
Academic performance reflects mixed results relative to state benchmarks. Reading proficiency stands at 32.1%, slightly above Arkansas's 31.1% state average, while math proficiency of 31.9% falls marginally below the state average of 33.3%. These figures indicate performance near state norms rather than significant deviation in either direction.
The district serves a population with notable demographic characteristics. Economically disadvantaged students represent 76.0% of enrollment, and English learners comprise 22.7% of the student body. Racial composition is distributed across White (34.8%), Hispanic (38.2%), Asian (4.7%), and Black (9.4%) populations, reflecting a diverse community.
Financially, FORT SMITH maintains per-pupil spending of $17,592, substantially exceeding Arkansas's state average of $12,589. The total budget of $251.4M is supported through diversified revenue: 47.2% from state sources, 36.7% from local revenue, and 16.2% from federal funding. This above-average spending allocation relative to state figures suggests elevated resource investment within the district.
This summary was generated by AI from public data sources. Last updated May 4, 2026.
This data is aggregated from state and federal public datasets. While we believe it is accurate, we always recommend confirming it on the corresponding state or federal site. See Data Notes for more.
Total Students
14,291
Schools
27
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,592
Data Sources: NCES Common Core of Data, NCES F-33 Finance Survey, EDFacts
Federal Data Year: 2022-23
State Data Year: 2024-25
Note: Some data may be unavailable for certain districts or years. Proficiency rates reflect state-specific assessment standards.
Math Proficiency
31.9%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
Source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, University of Arkansas Office for Education Policy, 2024-25 School Year. Letter grades are aggregated from school-level accountability data using 9 equally-weighted indicators.