Des Arc Elementary School

Des Arc Elementary School serves 379 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade in the small, rural community of Des Arc, Arkansas, and is part of the highly-rated Des Arc School District, which ranks in the top 15% of districts statewide.

This school stands out for its strong academic performance, especially when compared to nearby schools like C.B. Partee Elementary School in Brinkley, Carlisle Elementary School, and Hazen Elementary School. In the most recent school year, Des Arc Elementary led in every subject, with 53% of students proficient in math (compared to 48.8% at Carlisle and 31.3% at Brinkley), 41.9% in English Language Arts, and 41.5% in science. A particularly interesting pattern is the exceptional performance of 6th graders, who achieved a 78% proficiency rate in math—33 percentage points above the state average. This "6th grade spike" is not seen in neighboring schools and suggests a highly effective program or teacher at that grade level. Additionally, Des Arc achieves these results while spending significantly less per student ($10,565) than its neighbors, who spend between $14,326 and $15,952 per student.

Despite a recent dip in its state ranking—from the 79th percentile to the 53rd percentile—the school has a strong track record, earning 4-star ratings for 8 of the last 10 years. The main challenge is a performance gap between the lower grades (3-5), which struggle to meet state averages in English Language Arts, and the standout 6th grade. With nearly three-quarters of students facing economic disadvantages, the school's history of high performance and efficient use of resources shows a resilient foundation. Understanding what works so well in 6th grade could be the key to lifting all grades and returning to its top-tier status.