Summary:
This analysis focuses on the single elementary school within the WESTSIDE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT (Craighead) in Jonesboro, Arkansas, which serves students from Pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade.
Westside Elementary School is a standout in its own right, consistently outperforming state averages in core subjects like Mathematics and Science. For the 2025-2026 school year, the school achieved a 49.3% proficiency rate in both Math and Science, significantly higher than the state averages of 44.1% and 44.0%, respectively. While its English Language Arts (40.3%) and Reading (40.0%) scores are closer to state benchmarks, the school shows a clear strength in STEM subjects. Notably, the school has demonstrated impressive year-over-year academic improvement, with Math proficiency jumping 5.6 percentage points and Science rising 4.5 points from the previous year. However, its state ranking dropped from the 67th to the 55th percentile, indicating that while Westside improved, many other schools across Arkansas improved at an even faster pace.
A deeper look reveals that 3rd graders consistently outperform 4th graders in every subject, with the largest gap in English Language Arts (a 5.2 percentage point difference). This pattern may suggest a need for stronger academic support in the 4th grade or reflect a particularly strong cohort of 3rd graders. With a student-teacher ratio of 18:1 and per-student spending of $9,756, the school appears to operate efficiently, leveraging its resources to produce above-state-average results in Math and Science despite serving a student population where 55% are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Overall, Westside Elementary School offers a solid academic foundation with particular strengths in math and science, though families should note the slight decline in reading proficiency and the competitive nature of state rankings.
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