Summary:
The LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland) in Garland County, Arkansas, is home to two middle schools—Lakeside Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Lakeside Middle School (grades 5-6)—serving a combined 1,127 students in a district ranked in the top 7% statewide.
Lakeside Middle School stands out as the academic leader in mathematics, with a 71.4% proficiency rate across all grades in 2025-2026—far exceeding the state average of 44.1%. Its 6th-grade math score of 79.4% is the highest subject-specific score in the dataset. In contrast, Lakeside Junior High School excels in advanced Algebra, achieving a remarkable 90.2% proficiency rate, nearly double the district average of 46.7%. However, this high Algebra score masks a drop in general 8th-grade math proficiency to 45.8%, suggesting a selective advanced math track. In English Language Arts and Reading, Lakeside Middle School also outperforms its counterpart, with 51.9% and 52.1% proficiency respectively, compared to 45.0% and 47.0% at Lakeside Junior High School. Science scores are more balanced, with Lakeside Junior High School slightly ahead at 56.9% versus 52.6%.
Both schools serve similar economic demographics, with free/reduced lunch rates around 45-47%. Interestingly, Lakeside Middle School spends $1,349 more per student ($10,867 vs. $9,518) yet has a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (16.3:1 vs. 15.6:1), suggesting funds may go toward resources rather than smaller classes. Both schools show strong year-over-year improvement, with Lakeside Middle School boosting ELA proficiency from 43.5% to 51.9% and science from 42.2% to 52.6%. The data reveals a clear math pipeline challenge: while 6th graders at Lakeside Middle School achieve 79.4% math proficiency, 7th graders at Lakeside Junior High School drop to 62.2%, indicating a potential transition difficulty that parents should be aware of as their children move between schools.
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