Public schools in Fort Smith, AR
28 open public schools with an address in Fort Smith, operated by 5 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
28
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
14,075
28 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
16.6:1
Arkansas median 14.2:1
Charter schools
4
1 virtual
An overview of Fort Smith public schools
The federal directory lists 28 public schools in Fort Smith, AR: 16 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high, 1 combined or other. The 28 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 14,075 students, an average of 503 per school. The largest campus is Northside High School (2,231 students), and the largest elementary school is Fairview Elementary School (582).
Fort Smith School District operates the most schools here (24), plus 4 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 16.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 14.2:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 4 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 3 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 73% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Fort Smith
Fort Smith School District
Public school district
24 schools in Fort Smith · 25 total
Future School of Fort Smith
Independent charter agency
1 school in Fort Smith
Haas Hall Academy
Independent charter agency
1 school in Fort Smith · 5 total
Institute for the Creative Arts
Independent charter agency
1 school in Fort Smith
Westark Technical Center
Other local education agency
1 school in Fort Smith
Elementary schools in Fort Smith
16| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballman Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 286 | 18.8:1 | |
| Beard Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 297 | 15.3:1 | |
| Bonneville Elementary School Fort Smith School District | KG–05 | 287 | 19.1:1 | |
| Carnall Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 172 | 18.9:1 | |
| Cavanaugh Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 303 | 16.6:1 | |
| Elmer H. Cook Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 459 | 19.4:1 | |
| Euper Lane Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 397 | 16.3:1 | |
| Fairview Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 582 | 18:1 | |
| Harry C. Morrison Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 493 | 19.1:1 | |
| Howard Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 299 | 18.9:1 | |
| John P. Woods Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 514 | 19.3:1 | |
| Park Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 387 | 19.4:1 | |
| Spradling Elementary School Fort Smith School District | KG–05 | 307 | 18.3:1 | |
| Sunnymede Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 510 | 18.7:1 | |
| Sutton Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 411 | 15:1 | |
| Tilles Elementary School Fort Smith School District | PK–05 | 343 | 19:1 |
Middle schools in Fort Smith
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dora Kimmons Middle School Fort Smith School District | 06–08 | 753 | 14.6:1 | |
| L. A. Chaffin Middle School Fort Smith School District | 06–08 | 753 | 13.9:1 | |
| Ramsey Middle School Fort Smith School District | 06–08 | 801 | 14:1 | |
| William O. Darby Middle School Fort Smith School District | 06–08 | 711 | 12.5:1 |
High schools in Fort Smith
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith Virtual Academy Fort Smith School District · Charter · Virtual | 06–12 | 106 | 8.5:1 | |
| Future School of Fort Smith Future School of Fort Smith · Charter | 09–12 | 235 | 5.5:1 | |
| Haas Hall Academy Fort Smith Haas Hall Academy · Charter | 07–12 | 101 | 7:1 | |
| Institute for the Creative Arts School Institute for the Creative Arts · Charter | 09–12 | 49 | 3.8:1 | |
| Northside High School Fort Smith School District | 09–12 | 2,231 | 11.2:1 | |
| Southside High School Fort Smith School District | 09–12 | 2,053 | 10.8:1 | |
| Western Arkansas Technical Center Westark Technical Center · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Fort Smith
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond F Orr Learning Academy Fort Smith School District | KG–12 | 235 | 17.1:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White35.7%
- Hispanic37%
- Black10%
- Asian4.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.8%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial11.5%
Enrollment-weighted across 27 Fort Smith schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (14,075 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Fort Smith
How many public schools are in Fort Smith, AR?
The current NCES directory lists 28 open public schools with a location address in Fort Smith: 16 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 14,075 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Fort Smith?
Schools with an address in Fort Smith belong to 5 education agencies, led by Fort Smith School District (24 schools), Future School of Fort Smith (1 school), Haas Hall Academy (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Fort Smith?
Northside High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Fort Smith, with 2,231 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Fort Smith?
Yes. 4 of the 28 public schools in Fort Smith are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Fort Smith Virtual Academy, Future School of Fort Smith, Haas Hall Academy Fort Smith. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Fort Smith schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Fort Smith public schools is 16.6:1, higher than the Arkansas school median of 14.2:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Fort Smith guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Arkansas cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Arkansas cities