West Memphis School District

The West Memphis School District operates 9 schools, including 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district as a whole is ranked 230 out of 250 in Arkansas and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, indicating significant challenges in student performance and educational outcomes.

Within the district, a few schools stand out. Richland Elementary School is the highest-ranked school in the district, ranking 245th out of 495 Arkansas elementary schools and receiving a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Bragg Elementary School also performs significantly better than the district and state averages across multiple subjects and grade levels. However, the proficiency rates across the district are generally low, with most schools performing well below the state averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

The data reveals stark differences in educational outcomes between the top-performing schools and the lower-performing schools in the district. This suggests significant disparities in the quality of education and resources available to students. Additionally, all schools in the district have extremely high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. While the spending per student and student-teacher ratios vary across the schools, there does not appear to be a clear correlation between these factors and student performance, suggesting that other factors, such as school leadership, curriculum, and instructional practices, may be playing a more significant role in determining student success.