Summary:
The city of Lamar, Arkansas, is served by the Lamar School District, which includes three public schools—Lamar Elementary School, Lamar Middle School, and Lamar High School—serving a total of 1,254 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is ranked 72nd out of 251 districts in Arkansas, earning a 4-star rating, and is notable for having over 98% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a key context for understanding its achievements.
Lamar High School is the standout school in the city, ranking 48th out of 293 high schools in Arkansas (84th percentile) with a 4-star rating. It boasts a 93.4% graduation rate, a very low 0.8% dropout rate, and a remarkably low student-teacher ratio of 6.9:1, which likely supports its strong academic performance. The high school outperforms state averages in Biology (53.5% proficient vs. 42.7%) and English Language Arts (42.8% vs. 39.4%), and its 10th graders are particularly strong. In contrast, Lamar Middle School is the weakest link, ranking in the 57th percentile (3 stars) with proficiency rates in ELA (34.5%), Reading (34.7%), and Mathematics (37.7%) all falling below state averages, suggesting a transition challenge from the high-performing elementary school.
Despite high economic disadvantage, the district shows exceptional strength in mathematics. Lamar Elementary School achieved a 55.9% math proficiency rate, well above the state average of 44.1%, with 3rd graders at 60.3% proficient. Lamar Middle School had 100% of its 8th-grade Algebra students score proficient, compared to a 73.9% state average. The entire district showed significant year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with proficiency rates rising in nearly every subject. Per-student spending varies widely, from $12,821 at the elementary school to $15,251 at the high school, which aligns with the high school's lower class sizes and stronger outcomes.
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