Elkins School District

The Elkins School District in Arkansas is a small, high-performing district of four schools serving approximately 1,462 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, ranked 4th out of 251 districts in the state and earning a 5-star rating.

Academic excellence is a district-wide trend, but each school has a distinct strength. Elkins Elementary School (grades 3-5) is the academic powerhouse, ranking 17th out of 491 elementary schools in Arkansas and posting the highest proficiency rates in the district for English Language Arts (65.9%), Reading (63.1%), and Mathematics (70.3%). Elkins Middle School (grades 6-8) stands out for its exceptional advanced math program, with a remarkable 100% of 8th graders scoring proficient on the Algebra ATLAS exam—far exceeding the state average of 73.9%. Elkins High School (grades 9-12) has shown dramatic improvement, jumping from a state rank of 61st to 19th over three years, and boasts an incredibly low student-teacher ratio of 8.2:1, a 94.1% graduation rate, and a dropout rate of just 0.2%. Elkins Primary School (PK-2) serves as the foundational entry point, with the highest percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (50.93%) and a student-teacher ratio of 16.5:1.

Key takeaways for parents include a clear "feeder pattern" of success: strong early grades at the Primary and Elementary schools prepare students for the Middle School's standout Algebra program, which then feeds into a rapidly improving High School. Notably, the school with the highest spending per student ($11,615 at the High School) does not have the highest test scores, while the school with the lowest spending ($10,221 at the Middle School) achieves the most exceptional single metric. This suggests that factors like teacher quality and curriculum are more critical than spending alone. Overall, the district demonstrates consistent year-over-year improvement across all schools, making it a compelling choice for families seeking a cohesive, high-achieving educational environment.