enrollment
95 Districts at Record Lows, 22 at Highs: Arkansas Splits in Two
More than a third of Arkansas districts are at their lowest enrollment since 2005, while growth concentrates in NWA suburbs and charter schools.
Arkansas Education News & Data
district-spotlight
Bryant Went from 94% White to 50% While Growing
Bryant School District's white enrollment share fell 44 percentage points in 21 years, but total enrollment grew 43%. It is the largest growth-driven demographic shift in Arkansas.
demographics
One in 18 Arkansas Students Now Identifies as Multiracial
Multiracial enrollment grew 408% since 2010, making two-or-more-races the fastest-growing demographic group in Arkansas schools by a wide margin.
enrollment
144 Districts Under 1,000 Students, Serving Less Than a Fifth of Arkansas
More than half of Arkansas's 259 school districts enroll fewer than 1,000 students, but together they educate only 17.7% of the state's children.
district-spotlight
Bentonville Passes Little Rock as Arkansas's No. 2 District
Fueled by Walmart's economic engine, Bentonville has doubled in size since 2005 while Little Rock lost a quarter of its students. The crossover happened last year.
special-populations
One in Seven Springdale Students Is Pacific Islander
Springdale enrolls 2,922 Pacific Islander students, 13.9% of its total and 56.8% of all PI students in Arkansas, driven by the largest Marshallese diaspora community in the continental US.
school-choice
One in 40 Arkansas Students Now Attends School Online
Arkansas's two virtual schools enrolled 11,559 students in 2025-26, nearly tripling since 2020 and capturing 42% of all enrollment growth statewide.
enrollment
NWA Now Educates 1 in 7 Arkansas Students
Four Northwest Arkansas districts grew from 9.8% to 14.2% of state enrollment since 2005, gaining 21,488 students while the Delta lost nearly as many.
demographics
Arkansas Schools Are 57% White and Falling
White student share has declined every year for two decades in Arkansas, from 69.4% to 56.5%, as Hispanic enrollment surged 162% and the multiracial category grew fivefold.
district-spotlight
Little Rock Fell from #1 to #3 in Seven Years
Arkansas's capital city district lost 6,774 students since its 2008 peak as Northwest Arkansas boomed and charter schools multiplied.
covid-impact
Three Out of Four Arkansas Districts Still Below Pre-COVID Enrollment
Only 57 of 216 comparable Arkansas districts have recovered to their 2019-20 enrollment levels. The state lost 8,916 students in 2026 alone.
school-choice
One in 17 Arkansas Students Now Attends a Charter-Like School
Charter and virtual schools tripled their share of Arkansas enrollment in a decade, reaching 5.9% in 2025-26. Two virtual schools alone account for 42% of the sector.
enrollment
Arkansas Lost More Students This Year Than COVID Took
Arkansas enrollment fell by 8,916 students in 2025-26, the largest single-year drop on record and 39% larger than the COVID-year loss, as vouchers and falling birth rates converge.
demographics
After 21 Years of Growth, Hispanic Enrollment Falls for the First Time
Arkansas's Hispanic student population declined by 1,157 in 2025-26 after two decades of unbroken growth, with losses concentrated in the NWA poultry corridor.
district-spotlight
Nine Delta Districts Lost 55% of Their Students
Nine Arkansas Delta school districts have shed 13,769 students since 2005, with Helena-West Helena down 69% and five districts below 1,000 students.
