Summary:
The Cotter School District in Arkansas is served by a single elementary school, Amanda Gist Elementary School, which educates students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade with a total enrollment of 374 students.
Amanda Gist Elementary School is a standout institution, consistently earning a 4-star rating over the past three years. The school district itself is ranked 19th out of 251 districts in Arkansas, placing it in the top 8% statewide. The school's performance is particularly impressive given that 100% of its students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, a common indicator of economic disadvantage. Despite this challenge, the school outperforms the state average in every core subject. For the 2025-2026 school year, proficiency rates were 48% in English Language Arts (vs. 39.4% state), 54.5% in Mathematics (vs. 44.1% state), and 59.1% in Science (vs. 44% state). The school also shows strong year-over-year improvement, with Science proficiency increasing by 9.1 percentage points and Math by 5.0 percentage points from the previous year.
Key metrics reveal a school that invests heavily in its students. The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 13.2:1, and spending per student is $13,641. Science is a clear strength, with 5th graders achieving a remarkable 67.3% proficiency rate. Mathematics also shows a strong upward trajectory, with proficiency rising from 45.7% in 3rd grade to 63.3% in 6th grade. However, a notable area for attention is 3rd Grade Reading, where the school's proficiency rate of 39.1% falls below the state average of 43.1%. This single data point suggests a potential need for enhanced early literacy support, even as the school excels in nearly every other measure.
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