CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a small K-5 school in FORT SMITH, Arkansas, part of FORT SMITH SCHOOL DISTRICT. The school works with 172 students in grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 59% below the state mean of about 418.

FORT SMITH SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 27 schools in total, collectively educating 14,164 students. CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL shows that 46% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school records 23% Hispanic, 16% multiracial, 13% Black. By comparison, Sebastian County as a whole is about 68% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.9:1. The state averages around 16.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 91% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Sebastian County runs at roughly 65%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 25.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 15.6%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Sebastian County indicate median household earnings sit near $57,790, about 23% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Sebastian County's 44 public schools (combined enrollment of about 20,239 students), CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: RAYMOND F. ORR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, around 0.8 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL comes 8th of 8 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 35.3%.

The school occupies a high-density site.

Looking at the recent track record. CARNALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has contracted 40% since 2018, when it stood at 288 (now 172). White enrollment moved from 51% to 46% across the same window. Class-load math has loosened: from 12.3:1 in 2018 to 18.9:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.