Summary:
The LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Chicot) in Arkansas contains two elementary schools—Lakeside Elementary School (serving grades PK-5 with 292 students) and Eudora Elementary School (serving grades PK-3 with 83 students)—both of which serve a student population that is 100% economically disadvantaged. The district ranks in the 13th percentile statewide, indicating significant academic challenges, but the two schools present very different stories in terms of performance trends and resource allocation.
Lakeside Elementary School is a consistent underperformer, holding a 1-star rating for three consecutive years with a declining percentile rank (from 18th to 11th). However, it shows a clear upward trajectory in test scores from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with notable gains in English Language Arts (up 11.4 points) and Science (up 8.6 points). In contrast, Eudora Elementary School is a volatile performer, swinging from a 4-star school (77th percentile) in 2023-2024 to a 1-star school (21st percentile) in 2025-2026. Despite spending $23,724 per student—56% more than Lakeside—and having a low student-teacher ratio of 9.9:1, Eudora’s performance has declined sharply, with Science proficiency dropping 16.7 points and Math falling 5.6 points in the latest year.
A key takeaway is that high spending does not guarantee success, as Eudora’s erratic results suggest other factors like teacher turnover or curriculum changes may be at play. Both schools struggle significantly in Science, with 2025-2026 proficiency rates of 26.2% at Lakeside and 22.2% at Eudora, far below the state average of 44%. Additionally, Lakeside’s 5th graders outperformed younger students in Math (40.5% vs. 25%), hinting at a possible effective teacher or intervention program. For parents, Lakeside Elementary School offers a more stable, improving environment, while Eudora Elementary School provides smaller classes but with highly unpredictable academic outcomes.
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