Clarendon Elementary School

Clarendon Elementary School serves 240 students in grades PK-6 in the small, rural community of Clarendon, Arkansas, within the Clarendon School District.

This school stands out for its significant investment in students, spending over $17,600 per student each year—more than nearby schools like Park Avenue Elementary School ($11,518) and Hazen Elementary School ($14,326). This funding supports an exceptionally low student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1, meaning your child will likely receive more individualized attention than at neighboring schools. However, despite these resources, academic proficiency rates remain low, with only 14.7% of students proficient in Math in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to 38.8% at Hazen. The school serves a community where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting high levels of socioeconomic need.

There are encouraging signs of progress. The school's state ranking has climbed from the 2nd percentile in 2021-2022 to the 9th percentile in 2025-2026. Recent year-over-year improvements in English Language Arts (from 15.7% to 16.4%), Reading (from 16.1% to 20.5%), and Science (from 14.6% to 24.6%) suggest that new strategies may be taking hold. A bright spot is 6th-grade Science, where 42.3% of students achieved proficiency—nearly matching the state average and outperforming C.B. Partee Elementary School (31%). While the school faces deep challenges, these trends indicate that its heavy investment in small classes and student support may be starting to pay off.