Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School

Q: Is Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School a good school?

Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School ranks 265 th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

265^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School in Hot Springs, AR, serves 357 students in grades PK through 6 and is part of the Cutter Morning Star School District, a district ranked in the middle of the pack statewide.

This school stands out for its consistent, middle-of-the-road performance, earning a 2-star rating for nine of the last ten years. This stability is a key differentiator in a region where nearby schools show extreme highs and lows. For example, Park Magnet An Ib Pyp World Class School and Lakeside Intermediate School are top performers, while Mountain Pine Elementary School and Langston Elementary Leadership Academy Magnet School struggle. Cutter-Morning Star offers a reliable option in this volatile landscape. The school also spends more per student ($14,451) than high-performing neighbors like Lakeside Intermediate ($10,930), suggesting that resources are available but not yet translating into top-tier academic gains.

The most notable finding is a dramatic drop in 5th-grade performance. While the 4th-grade class consistently outperforms the state in English and math, the 5th-grade scores plummet—for instance, math proficiency falls from 51.9% to just 16.3%. This sharp decline is not seen in other local schools, such as Magnet Cove Elementary School, and points to a specific issue that needs investigation. On a positive note, the school’s state ranking has steadily improved from the 19th percentile in 2017 to the 46th percentile in 2026, showing a clear upward trajectory. Overall, Cutter-Morning Star is a stable, improving school with a strong 4th-grade program, but it faces a critical challenge in supporting its 5th-grade students.

357

Students ?

17.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,451

Per pupil spending ?

78.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2801 Spring Street
Hot Springs, AR 71901

(501) 262-2414

District: Cutter Morning Star School District

Students who attend Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Cutter-Morning Star High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.2%

Two or more races:

14.6%

Hispanic:

12.3%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 40th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg38%

Arkansas avg42%

265^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

150^th of 251Cutter Morning Star School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	265 of 491	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.9	260 of 495	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.0	253 of 497	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.5	313 of 492	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.8	255 of 487	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.3	258 of 496	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.3	259 of 488	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.0	360 of 480	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.8	394 of 485	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	45.8	295 of 494	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.3	137 of 466	70.6%	★★★★☆
2014	62.0	181 of 471	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.4	175 of 476	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.4	125 of 468	73.3%	★★★★☆
2011	81.8	46 of 471	90.2%	★★★★★
2010	82.2	46 of 457	89.9%	★★★★★
2009	86.6	26 of 445	94.2%	★★★★★
2008	77.2	69 of 439	84.3%	★★★★☆
2007	78.3	72 of 440	83.6%	★★★★☆
2006	70.8	111 of 402	72.4%	★★★★☆
2005	74.5	84 of 411	79.6%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Mathematics41%-3 vs state

Science41%-3 vs state

Reading38%-3 vs state

4.3

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★2

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 13, 2018

Great school! They are quite small, and not too well funded. But my children are challenged academically, and have great teachers. I have had nothing but positive experiences with every member of the staff, and it is clear that they care deeply about the children and education. They work hard to make sure their students are safe, and go out of their way to help any student or their family in any way they can. Their test scores definitely aren't perfect, but a good majority of the students come from low-income families, or troubled backgrounds. All things considered, they do their job better than most schools in this situation. I hope to never leave this school district. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, August 2, 2010

I moved my children from Lake Hamilton to Cutter it's a 20 minute commute each way and very worth it- Instead of unfriendly faces when you walk into a school it's lit up and smiling people who make you feel welcome. The large schools are business only and run that way to the extent of tearing down and frightening your children my kids were scared to eat lunch the wrong way but now in our new school they are excited to go to school and I am not worried about them I feel they are genuinely being cared for and nurtured not just a dollar amount to a principal. Close Quote

Schools Near Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)					ATLAS Science (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2801 Spring Street	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	Cutter Morning Star School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 262-2414	357	20	17.9	78.4%	247 (69.2%)	8 (2.2%)	44 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (14.6%)	48.7	265^th of 491 public elementary schools	46.0%		49.9	260^th of 495 public elementary schools	47.5%	5	41.2	51.9	34.9	36.1	41.9	37.2	46.3	27.9	36.1	37.5	56.8	51.9	16.3	33.4	41.3	51.0	51.8	23.3	30.5	40.8	$14,451	$4,518	$9,933
Lakeside Intermediate School	Public	2-4	2855 Malvern Ave	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland)	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 262-2332	721	44	16.4	49.5%	479 (66.4%)	40 (5.5%)	98 (13.6%)	11 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (12.3%)	77.7	95^th of 491 public elementary schools	80.7%		74	118^th of 495 public elementary schools	76.2%	23	48.7	52.1			50.4	50.5	49.6			50.0	70.8	64.6			67.7	52.5	56.6			54.6	$10,930	$990	$9,940
Lakeside Primary School	Public	PK, KG-1	2841 Malvern	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland)	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 262-1921	583	30	19.1	50.8%	368 (63.1%)	37 (6.3%)	91 (15.6%)	17 (2.9%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (11.1%)								(n/a)																					$14,895	$2,036	$12,859
Langston Elementary Leadership Academy Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	120 Chestnut	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	Hot Springs School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 620-7821	504	27	18.5	100.0%	100 (19.8%)	224 (44.4%)	111 (22.0%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (12.1%)	23	407^th of 491 public elementary schools	17.1%		14.9	448^th of 495 public elementary schools	9.5%	41	26.8	28.3	36.3	10.7	26.2	28.3	26.4	36.3	10.7	26.2	43.3	32.1	31.0	23.4	33.4	28.4	34.0	21.8	8.6	23.9	$16,502	$4,560	$11,942
Oaklawn Stem Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	525 Hammond Lane	Hot Springs	71913	Garland County	Hot Springs School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 620-7822	452	26	17.1	100.0%	164 (36.3%)	141 (31.2%)	97 (21.5%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (9.7%)	25	400^th of 491 public elementary schools	18.5%		25.5	384^th of 495 public elementary schools	22.4%	16	31.2	28.6	20.0	17.7	24.6	32.8	30.0	23.6	24.2	27.9	32.8	41.5	27.3	27.4	32.7	27.9	45.7	23.6	32.2	33.1	$16,119	$4,039	$12,080
Main Street Visual & Performing Arts Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	301 Oaklawn Boulevard	Hot Springs	71913	Garland County	Hot Springs School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 623-2661	647	41	15.9	99.8%	191 (29.5%)	251 (38.8%)	114 (17.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	87 (13.4%)	29	381^st of 491 public elementary schools	22.4%		15.2	446^th of 495 public elementary schools	9.9%	65	25.8	30.9	22.8	34.1	28.4	25.8	32.4	26.3	38.5	30.7	30.3	32.4	40.0	39.6	35.7	25.0	32.3	41.7	26.4	31.0	$15,720	$3,974	$11,746
Fountain Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4207 Park Ave	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	Fountain Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 701-1708	491	35	14.0	62.7%	431 (87.8%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.1%)	49.3	261^st of 491 public elementary schools	46.8%		71	132^nd of 495 public elementary schools	73.3%	129	39.0	41.4			40.0	40.0	37.4			38.8	39.0	49.3			43.4	46.0	42.7			44.5	$15,768	$3,079	$12,689
Park Magnet An Ib Pyp World Class School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	617 Main Street	Hot Springs	71913	Garland County	Hot Springs School District	No	Yes	No	No	(501) 623-5661	411	22	18.3	100.0%	170 (41.4%)	82 (20.0%)	82 (20.0%)	14 (3.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (13.9%)	75	116^th of 491 public elementary schools	76.4%		70.5	138^th of 495 public elementary schools	72.1%	22	53.0	60.0	47.4	42.8	50.2	51.0	56.0	49.1	46.0	50.2	64.6	46.9	54.2	55.5	55.2	68.8	57.2	57.6	41.3	55.2	$14,223	$2,470	$11,753
Magnet Cove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	22083 Hwy 51	Malvern	72104	Hot Spring County	Magnet Cove School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 337-9131	368	22	17.0	59.8%	330 (89.7%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.2%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	59.7	198^th of 491 public elementary schools	59.7%		59.5	201^st of 495 public elementary schools	59.4%	3	50.0	38.2	44.0	47.4	44.7	44.2	40.0	46.0	42.1	43.0	46.2	47.2	44.0	50.0	46.7	48.1	43.6	40.0	57.9	46.7	$12,103	$1,327	$10,776
Mountain Pine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	690 Blakely Dam Road	Mountain Pine	71956	Garland County	Mountain Pine School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 767-1540	320	18	17.4	100.0%	245 (76.6%)	13 (4.1%)	9 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (14.7%)	13.5	444^th of 491 public elementary schools	9.6%		16.4	434^th of 495 public elementary schools	12.3%	10	27.0	17.1	9.4	29.4	20.0	27.0	17.0	11.7	32.4	21.3	23.7	24.4	11.6	23.5	20.5	23.7	19.5	21.0	32.4	23.7	$14,668	$3,166	$11,502

Frequently Asked Questions about Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School

How many students attend Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 357 students attended Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Cutter-Morning Star High School

What is the racial makeup of Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School?

Students at Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School are 69% White, 15% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% American Indian.

What district is Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School in?

Cutter Morning Star School District

Is Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School a good school?

Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School ranks 265^th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ARArkansas Elementary School Rankings

ARArkansas District Rankings

Schools in Hot Springs, AR

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Cutter-Morning Star Elementary School!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.