Summary:
The Pea Ridge School District in Arkansas is home to two elementary schools serving students from Pre-K through 4th grade: Pea Ridge Primary School (Pre-K to 2nd grade) and Pea Ridge Intermediate School (3rd and 4th grade). The district ranks in the 57th percentile statewide, earning a 3-star rating, and serves a community where about 35% of elementary students come from low-income families.
Pea Ridge Intermediate School stands out as the academic leader, consistently outperforming state averages in Math and Science. In the 2024-2025 school year, its Math proficiency rate of 53.3% was nearly 15 percentage points above the state average, and its Science proficiency of 50.9% was nearly 13 points higher. However, despite these strong scores, the school's state ranking has been declining—dropping from the 84th percentile to the 57th percentile over three years—indicating that other schools are improving at a faster pace. English Language Arts is a relative weakness, with proficiency at 39.6% only slightly above the state average of 34.7%. The school also operates more efficiently, spending $10,374 per student compared to $11,052 at the primary school.
Pea Ridge Primary School serves younger students with a higher student-teacher ratio of 18.9:1, which is counterintuitive given that younger grades typically benefit from more individualized attention. This ratio is notably higher than the Intermediate School's 15.9:1. While both schools serve similar demographics, the Primary School spends $678 more per student, likely due to the higher costs of early childhood programs. For parents, the key takeaway is that the district excels in STEM education at the intermediate level, but literacy development and resource allocation for early grades may be areas to watch closely.
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