Summary:
The Jacksonville North Pulaski School District is home to four elementary schools serving grades K-5 in the Jacksonville, Arkansas area, and the data reveals a district facing significant academic challenges, with a few standout exceptions.
Among the four schools, Bayou Meto Elementary School is the clear top performer, consistently achieving the highest test scores and even exceeding state averages in some subjects like 5th Grade English Language Arts and 3rd Grade Mathematics. In contrast, Jacksonville Elementary School is the most struggling, with the largest enrollment (733 students), the highest student-teacher ratio (17.4), and the lowest test scores in the district, ranking in the 0th percentile statewide. Murrell Taylor Elementary School spends the most per student ($16,007) but does not achieve the best results, while Bobby G Lester Elementary School has the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.1) but still performs below state averages. The district-wide average proficiency in Math is just 24.9%, nearly 20 points below the state average of 44.1%, indicating a systemic issue in mathematics instruction.
For parents, the key takeaway is that spending does not guarantee success—Bayou Meto outperforms higher-spending schools like Murrell Taylor, suggesting that how money is used matters more than the total amount. The district’s volatile rankings and inconsistent progress across schools highlight the need for targeted interventions, especially in math. Bayou Meto stands out as a model worth investigating, while Jacksonville Elementary requires urgent support to address its low performance and high class sizes.
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