RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL

As an average-sized intermediate school in BENTONVILLE, Arkansas, RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL educates 530 students from grades 5 through 6, one of the schools within BENTONVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

BENTONVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT runs 24 schools in total, collectively educating 19,575 students. RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL logs that the largest single group is White, at 63% of enrollment. Other groups include 16% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 6% multiracial, 4% Black. That composition is broadly in line with Benton County as a whole.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL has 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 19.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL higher than the state norm the norm. Around 30% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 47.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 58.3%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Benton County indicate median household income runs about $93,506, 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across Benton County's 88 public schools (combined enrollment of about 57,071 students), RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AT MARY MAE JONES, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts RUTH BARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 61.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a city-core area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 7%: 496 students in 2018 compared to 530 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 71% to 63% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 19.1:1 today.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.