Summary:
The city of Hartman, Arkansas, is served by a single school district, Westside School District (Johnson), which includes Westside High School (grades 6-12) and Westside Elementary School (grades PK-5), with a combined enrollment of 585 students. The district overall is ranked in the 16th percentile in Arkansas with a 1-star rating, but this low ranking is heavily driven by the high school's performance, masking a significant bright spot at the elementary level.
Westside Elementary School is the standout school in the area, earning a 2-star rating and ranking in the 45th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year. Despite nearly 99% of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the elementary school outperforms the district average in all subjects and even exceeds the state average in Mathematics (46.1% proficient vs. 44.1% state) and is competitive in Science. In stark contrast, Westside High School holds a 1-star rating and ranks in the 22nd percentile, with test scores significantly below state averages in most subjects. The high school does have a strong graduation rate of 94.5% (above the state average) and a very low dropout rate of 0.7%, but its 8th-grade scores are alarmingly low, suggesting a critical performance drop after elementary school.
The most interesting finding is the dramatic "elementary advantage" followed by a "middle school cliff." The high school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.8:1 but spends less per student ($12,405) than the elementary school ($13,964), yet its academic results do not reflect this investment. A peculiar strength at the high school is Biology, where 45.5% of students are proficient, exceeding the state average of 42.7%, a stark contrast to its performance in other subjects. For parents, this data reveals that while the district rating is low, Westside Elementary School is a high-performing school defying the odds, while Westside High School faces significant academic challenges that warrant closer investigation into its curriculum and support systems.
Thank you for your feedback!