CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As a compact primary school in SHERWOOD, Arkansas, CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL educates 305 students from grades pre-K through 5, part of PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. That puts it 27% leaner than the typical public school in Arkansas, which averages around 418 students.

PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT comprises 26 schools with combined enrollment of 12,586 students; CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among them.

Looking at the student body, CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports that the largest single group is White at 47%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 32% Black, 12% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Pulaski County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.5:1. The state averages around 16.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 61% of students at CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Pulaski County runs at roughly 71%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 36.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 34.6%.

Across the wider county, census data for Pulaski County shows median household income runs about $62,873, about 38% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. Across Pulaski County's 133 public schools (combined enrollment of about 64,124 students), CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: SYLVAN HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL, around 0.2 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 27.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Five-year trend. CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's enrollment has ticked up 6% since 2018, when it stood at 289 (now 305). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 58% to 47%. Class-load math has grew: from 12.8:1 in 2018 to 17.5:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for CATO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL typically covers pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.