Summary:
Decatur, Arkansas is home to a single elementary school, Decatur Northside Elementary, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade and is part of the Decatur School District.
This school is a story of rapid and impressive improvement. In just two years, its state ranking jumped from the 15th percentile to the 43rd percentile, a remarkable gain that suggests recent changes are having a powerful impact. While 100% of its 278 students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school has achieved above-state-average proficiency in both Mathematics (45.5% vs. 44.1%) and Science (45.6% vs. 44.0%) for the 2025-2026 school year. A standout data point is the 4th-grade math score, where 56.2% of students were proficient, significantly outpacing the state average of 47%. This success in STEM subjects, combined with a per-student spending of $13,129, indicates effective resource allocation.
Despite these strengths, the school still faces challenges. Proficiency in English Language Arts (34.5%) and Reading (34.4%) trails the state averages by about five percentage points, marking a clear area for continued focus. However, the school consistently outperforms its own district average in every subject and grade level, confirming it is a strong performer within the Decatur School District. With a student-teacher ratio of 13.7:1, Decatur Northside Elementary is a school on the rise, demonstrating that significant progress is possible even when facing economic challenges.
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