Fort Smith School District

Summary:

The Fort Smith School District in Arkansas comprises 27 schools, including 19 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The district has a mix of high-performing and low-performing schools. Southside High School, L.A. Chaffin Middle School, and John P. Woods Elementary School stand out as top-performing schools in the district, with strong test scores and high rankings. In contrast, schools like Tilles Elementary, Carnall Elementary, and Belle Point Alternative Center struggle academically.

The district as a whole faces challenges, with an average of 32.4% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 35% in Mathematics, both below the state averages. The wide range in per-student spending, from $8,250 to $33,269, suggests significant disparities in resources across the district, which may contribute to the performance gaps observed. Addressing these inequities and providing targeted support to underperforming schools will be crucial for the Fort Smith School District to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.

District Detail

3205 Jenny Lind Rd
Fort Smith, AR 72901

(479) 785-2501

SchoolDigger Rank:
149^th of 250 Arkansas districts

See the 2025 Arkansas District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 14,045

Primary Schools: 18
Middle Schools: 4
High Schools: 4
Alternative Schools: 0

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2025)									ATLAS Reading (2025)									ATLAS Mathematics (2025)							ATLAS Algebra (2025)			ATLAS Geometry (2025)			ATLAS Science (2025)							ATLAS Biology (2025)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 10th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading 10th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 9th Grade	ATLAS Geometry 10th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology 10th Grade	ATLAS Biology 11th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ballman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 S Q St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-1280	286	15	18.7	67.1%	144 (50.3%)	20 (7.0%)	79 (27.6%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (13.3%)	64.7	164^th of 495 public elementary schools	66.9%		61.2	200^th of 497 public elementary schools	59.8%	36	28.0	47.0	57.8						43.8	30.0	47.0	51.1						42.4	38.0	44.9	53.3				45.2							30.0	46.9	48.9				41.7					$13,689	$1,511	$12,178
Barling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 D St	Barling	72923	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-0211	316	18	17.7	78.2%	167 (52.8%)	1 (0.3%)	89 (28.2%)	13 (4.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	42 (13.3%)	62	179^th of 495 public elementary schools	63.8%		47.8	269^th of 497 public elementary schools	45.9%	90	44.0	39.2	38.4						40.8	42.0	39.1	41.0						40.8	60.0	50.0	33.3				48.8							42.0	28.3	35.9				35.6					$11,916	$1,137	$10,779
Beard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Cavanaugh Rd	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-0834	297	19	15.3	78.1%	136 (45.8%)	32 (10.8%)	54 (18.2%)	19 (6.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (17.8%)	32.4	359^th of 495 public elementary schools	27.5%		45.4	282^nd of 497 public elementary schools	43.3%	77	25.5	22.7	30.6						26.2	25.6	24.5	26.5						25.5	31.9	35.8	32.6				33.6							25.6	26.4	32.6				28.2					$14,170	$2,080	$12,089
Belle Point Alternative Center	Public	6-12	1501 Dodson Ave	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-7034	39	9	4.1	92.3%	17 (43.6%)	9 (23.1%)	10 (25.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (7.7%)	2.4	288^th of 291 public high schools	1.0%		8.7	299^th of 305 public high schools	2.0%	11							0.0		0.0							0.0		0.0							0.0																		$27,301	$1,478	$25,823
Bonneville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 South Waldron Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 478-3161	287	15	19.1	74.6%	114 (39.7%)	38 (13.2%)	65 (22.6%)	23 (8.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (15.0%)	61	190^th of 495 public elementary schools	61.6%		64.9	170^th of 497 public elementary schools	65.8%	20	34.1	46.4	44.0						40.8	36.1	46.4	42.0						40.8	33.4	50.0	40.0				39.7							39.6	46.4	34.0				38.9					$12,206	$1,033	$11,173
Carnall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2524 South Tulsa St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-3612	172	9	18.8	91.3%	79 (45.9%)	22 (12.8%)	40 (23.3%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (16.3%)	23.3	400^th of 495 public elementary schools	19.2%		15.7	439^th of 497 public elementary schools	11.7%	39	20.9	37.0	16.7						25.3	25.0	37.0	20.9						28.0	16.7	22.2	16.7				18.7							25.0	22.2	12.5				20.0					$17,679	$2,202	$15,477
Cavanaugh Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1025 School St	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-1131	303	18	16.6	71.9%	139 (45.9%)	38 (12.5%)	59 (19.5%)	16 (5.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (16.2%)	80.9	79^th of 495 public elementary schools	84.0%		67.8	151^st of 497 public elementary schools	69.6%	72	45.4	54.0	41.3						47.1	41.0	54.0	47.8						47.8	52.3	58.0	69.6				60.0							54.5	48.0	50.0				50.7					$14,156	$1,588	$12,568
L. A. Chaffin Middle School	Public	6-8	3025 Massard Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-2226	753	54	13.9	55.4%	415 (55.1%)	40 (5.3%)	126 (16.7%)	54 (7.2%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	112 (14.9%)	84.3	32^nd of 324 public middle schools	90.1%		91	17^th of 335 public middle schools	94.9%	15				46.5	44.0	53.3			47.8				44.4	42.3	50.6			45.7				60.2	55.1	45.9	55.2	89.2		89.2							48.9	48.7	62.1	52.9					$14,020	$1,421	$12,599
Elmer H. Cook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3517 Brooken Hill Dr	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-8880	459	24	19.3	57.1%	242 (52.7%)	36 (7.8%)	66 (14.4%)	18 (3.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (20.5%)	76.5	101^st of 495 public elementary schools	79.6%		82.1	65^th of 497 public elementary schools	86.9%	36	50.0	58.5	46.5						51.9	47.2	53.3	42.3						47.7	48.6	57.2	38.0				48.2							45.8	55.9	33.8				45.5					$11,805	$1,594	$10,211
William O. Darby Middle School	Public	6-8	616 N 14th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-4159	711	57	12.4	82.8%	212 (29.8%)	63 (8.9%)	353 (49.6%)	9 (1.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (9.7%)	38.3	217^th of 324 public middle schools	33.0%		31.1	242^nd of 335 public middle schools	27.8%	25				32.0	25.7	30.7			29.4				31.2	28.9	31.1			30.3				29.8	31.3	22.0	28.5	31.1		31.1							28.5	29.7	30.7	29.6					$14,326	$1,352	$12,974
Fairview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2400 S Dallas St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-3214	582	32	17.9	80.6%	236 (40.5%)	43 (7.4%)	178 (30.6%)	10 (1.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	110 (18.9%)	42.7	298^th of 495 public elementary schools	39.8%		52.7	237^th of 497 public elementary schools	52.3%	61	28.5	32.5	51.2						37.0	29.6	28.5	45.2						34.2	28.6	34.6	30.9				31.2							29.5	25.3	30.9				28.6					$11,809	$1,299	$10,510
Howard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 N 8th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-7382	299	16	18.8	92.3%	50 (16.7%)	30 (10.0%)	189 (63.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	33.7	348^th of 495 public elementary schools	29.7%		32.7	362^nd of 497 public elementary schools	27.2%	14	27.1	39.5	28.5						31.5	29.2	34.9	26.5						30.0	16.7	48.8	24.5				29.3							22.9	30.3	14.3				22.2					$14,338	$1,449	$12,890
Dora Kimmons Middle School	Public	6-8	2201 N 50th St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-2451	753	52	14.5	93.5%	88 (11.7%)	112 (14.9%)	466 (61.9%)	40 (5.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.7%)	20.4	268^th of 324 public middle schools	17.3%		23.9	278^th of 335 public middle schools	17.0%	10				16.7	18.0	20.3			18.5				17.6	18.1	22.5			19.6				15.0	28.2	29.0	24.0	55.9		55.9							15.4	19.3	23.0	19.4					$13,279	$1,751	$11,529
Harry C. Morrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Newlon Rd	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 782-7045	493	26	19.1	90.3%	81 (16.4%)	79 (16.0%)	278 (56.4%)	16 (3.2%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.1%)	18.9	417^th of 495 public elementary schools	15.8%		15.1	444^th of 497 public elementary schools	10.7%	27	18.1	11.4	25.3						18.2	22.3	19.0	28.0						23.0	22.3	21.5	17.3				20.3							16.6	19.0	26.7				20.8					$11,686	$1,899	$9,787
Northside High School	Public	9-12	2301 N B St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-1171	2,231	199	11.2	77.4%	404 (18.1%)	316 (14.2%)	1,234 (55.3%)	100 (4.5%)	13 (0.6%)	4 (0.2%)	160 (7.2%)	36.1	198^th of 291 public high schools	32.0%		30.8	231^st of 305 public high schools	24.3%	33							18.4	27.1	22.5							18.7	29.1	23.6									17.0	16.9	40.3	14.0	19.6								56.1	29.8	0.0	34.2	$11,877	$1,501	$10,376
Raymond F. Orr Elementary School	Public	K-5	3609 Phoenix Ave	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-3711	235	14	17.0	70.6%	124 (52.8%)	18 (7.7%)	32 (13.6%)	12 (5.1%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (19.6%)	57.5	215^th of 495 public elementary schools	56.6%		59.7	208^th of 497 public elementary schools	58.1%	7	27.7	58.6	34.9						39.7	27.6	53.7	39.6						39.7	34.0	61.0	32.6				42.0							29.8	51.2	34.9				38.2					$16,992	$4,555	$12,437
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4111 Park Ave	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-4506	387	20	19.3	89.9%	79 (20.4%)	42 (10.9%)	210 (54.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (12.7%)	21.3	404^th of 495 public elementary schools	18.4%		18	432^nd of 497 public elementary schools	13.1%	28	15.1	30.3	28.3						24.0	16.6	25.0	30.2						23.4	16.7	26.7	24.5				22.3							12.1	26.8	15.1				17.7					$13,603	$2,816	$10,787
Ramsey Middle School	Public	6-8	3201 Jenny Lind Rd	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-5115	801	57	13.9	68.0%	396 (49.4%)	81 (10.1%)	151 (18.9%)	40 (5.0%)	10 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	122 (15.2%)	52.9	148^th of 324 public middle schools	54.3%		59.6	107^th of 335 public middle schools	68.1%	41				33.4	31.6	37.1			34.1				34.2	31.2	37.5			34.3				35.6	35.0	35.6	35.4	63.1		63.1							29.6	38.9	41.4	36.6					$17,549	$1,158	$16,391
Southside High School	Public	9-12	4100 Gary St	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-7371	2,053	191	10.7	48.3%	1,077 (52.5%)	140 (6.8%)	462 (22.5%)	151 (7.4%)	21 (1.0%)	1 (0.0%)	201 (9.8%)	63.4	77^th of 291 public high schools	73.5%		68	71^st of 305 public high schools	76.7%	6							39.2	36.7	37.9							38.4	36.7	37.6									22.8	23.8	47.7	11.4	23.4								77.4	38.1		51.2	$12,816	$1,943	$10,873
Spradling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4949 Spradling Ave	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-8048	307	17	18.3	94.5%	48 (15.6%)	31 (10.1%)	192 (62.5%)	13 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.5%)	26.1	383^rd of 495 public elementary schools	22.6%		30.7	373^rd of 497 public elementary schools	24.9%	10	24.5	34.0	12.5						23.2	26.6	36.0	19.6						27.1	22.4	24.0	25.0				23.9							24.4	30.0	19.6				24.6					$13,041	$1,606	$11,435
Sunnymede Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 N O St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-6327	510	27	18.7	91.4%	70 (13.7%)	35 (6.9%)	323 (63.3%)	21 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (11.8%)	25.3	388^th of 495 public elementary schools	21.6%		22	412^th of 497 public elementary schools	17.1%	24	24.4	26.2	21.0						23.7	25.7	29.7	19.8						25.0	35.2	17.9	22.1				24.6							31.1	22.6	21.0				24.5					$11,773	$1,780	$9,993
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Kelley Hwy	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-1778	411	27	15.0	91.5%	67 (16.3%)	40 (9.7%)	236 (57.4%)	28 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.7%)	17.6	428^th of 495 public elementary schools	13.5%		13.7	451^st of 497 public elementary schools	9.3%	23	25.7	21.4	18.7						22.1	24.2	24.6	20.3						23.1	17.1	21.3	17.0				18.4							22.9	14.8	10.2				16.3					$14,863	$2,223	$12,640
John P. Woods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3201 Massard Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-5808	514	27	19.3	50.0%	277 (53.9%)	29 (5.6%)	75 (14.6%)	56 (10.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (14.6%)	89.4	42^nd of 495 public elementary schools	91.5%		92.5	25^th of 497 public elementary schools	95.0%	17	51.0	62.7	69.9						60.7	52.1	60.2	72.3						61.0	47.9	59.0	71.1				58.8							52.1	54.2	61.4				55.7					$10,959	$1,247	$9,711
Tilles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	815 N 16th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-5606	343	18	18.9	90.4%	92 (26.8%)	45 (13.1%)	175 (51.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.9%)	12	456^th of 495 public elementary schools	7.9%		8.8	475^th of 497 public elementary schools	4.4%	19	14.0	14.6	24.1						17.7	12.0	12.6	18.5						14.5	14.0	18.8	16.7				16.5							18.0	16.6	11.2				15.1					$12,663	$1,720	$10,943
Euper Lane Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Euper Ln	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-2601	397	24	16.2	61.5%	188 (47.4%)	26 (6.5%)	96 (24.2%)	16 (4.0%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	65 (16.4%)	57.4	217^th of 495 public elementary schools	56.2%		81.3	71^st of 497 public elementary schools	85.7%	146	36.4	43.1	42.6						40.9	31.8	43.2	42.6						39.6	47.8	41.2	40.7				42.9							36.4	33.4	27.8				32.3					$14,761	$1,961	$12,800
Fort Smith Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	3205 Jenny Lind Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(844) 989-3399	106	13	8.4	63.2%	50 (47.2%)	16 (15.1%)	23 (21.7%)	2 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.2%)	33.9	312^th of 495 public high schools	37.0%		14.8	281^st of 305 public high schools	7.9%	31				30.0	40.0	17.6	38.9	23.1	28.4				40.0	40.0	29.4	33.3	23.1	30.9				20.0	0.0	13.3	11.4		11.8	10.5		0.0	0.0				30.0	20.0	35.3	29.7		20.0		22.7

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Premier High Schools Of Arkansas	0.69 mi	7	231^st
Future School Of Fort Smith	1.89 mi	1	215^th
Westark Technical Center	1.98 mi	1
Institute For The Creative Arts	2.52 mi	1
Van Buren School District	6.02 mi	11	102^nd

See the top AR Arkansas districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.