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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 050459000185

ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

1601 S. DONAGHEY ST, CONWAY, AR 72034 · (501) 450-4815 · Faulkner County
GRADES KG–04ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL461 STUDENTS
Enrollment
461
Elementary
DISTRICT 404 · STATE 418
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.7:1 · STATE 16.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
64%
293 students
DISTRICT 58% · STATE 70%
Community
2
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Kindergarten
84
Grade 1
91
Grade 2
101
Grade 3
100
Grade 4
85
Student demographics
White
18139%
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 57%
Hispanic
9420%
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 15%
Black
14431%
DISTRICT 30% · STATE 19%
Asian
41%
DISTRICT 2% · STATE 2%
Two+
378%
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 5%
Native American
10%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 1%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
24052%
Female
22148%

Discussions

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Test scores

ATLAS 2023-24 . % Proficient (Level 3+4)
English Language Arts
42.4%
AR avg 33.9%
Math
46.9%
AR avg 36.5%
Source: ATLAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
41.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.5%
based on AR schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.3pp
above demographic expectation
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

7-year change

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
461
+20 (+5%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
was 16.1:1
% White
39%
was 51%
% Hispanic
20%
was 16%
% Black
31%
was 26%
% Asian
1%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

About ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, a medium-sized elementary-level community in CONWAY, Arkansas, run under CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT, enrolls 461 students, covering grades K through 4.

Within CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT, which oversees 16 schools and 10,212 students, ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reports that 39% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder consists of 31% Black, 20% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. By comparison, Faulkner County as a whole is about 79% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 16.9:1. The state averages around 16.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 64% of students at ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Faulkner County runs at roughly 52%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 35.5%, the actual is 41.8%, a residual of +6.3 points.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Faulkner County indicate the typical household earns roughly $67,289 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 37 public schools in Faulkner County (combined enrollment of about 18,977 students).

CARL STUART MIDDLE SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.6 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 4th of 8; the average score across the group is 40.7%.

The school occupies a metropolitan site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has edged up 5%, going from 441 students in 2018 to 461 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 51% to 39% over that span.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.

Faulkner County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
127,717
Census ACS
Median income
$67,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
35%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
37
18,977 students

Quick facts

School name
ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
District
CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Address
1601 S. DONAGHEY ST, CONWAY, AR 72034
Phone
(501) 450-4815
County
Faulkner County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
KG–04
Total enrollment
461
Teachers (FTE)
27
Student–teacher ratio
16.9:1
Free/Reduced lunch
293 (64%)
Locale
13-City: Small
NCES ID
050459000185
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Other schools in CONWAY
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
How many students attend ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 461 students in grades KG-04.
What grades does ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serve?
ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL serves grades KG-04.
How many teachers does ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 27 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.9:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
At ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 39% White, 20% Hispanic, 31% Black, 1% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Is ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL public or private?
ELLEN SMITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a public K-12 school, overseen by CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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