Middle Schools in Lincoln School District

The Lincoln School District in Arkansas is home to a single middle school, Lincoln Middle School, which serves 401 students in grades 4 through 8 and operates with a student-teacher ratio of 16.1.

Lincoln Middle School presents a fascinating mix of strengths and challenges. The school is a standout in Algebra, with an extraordinary 90.9% of 8th-grade students scoring proficient on the ATLAS exam, far exceeding the state average of 36.9%. It also outperforms the state in Science, with 52.8% of students proficient compared to 44% statewide. However, the school struggles in core subjects like English Language Arts (36% proficient vs. 39.4% state), Reading (38.5% vs. 40.4%), and Mathematics (36.4% vs. 44.1%). This creates a clear dichotomy: the school excels in advanced STEM areas while lagging in foundational literacy and general math skills. Notably, the school has shown strong year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 across all subjects, with Science gaining 10.9 percentage points and Algebra jumping an impressive 40.9 points. Despite a high rate of economic disadvantage (74.81% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch), the school has managed to achieve strong results in Science and Algebra, suggesting effective programs in those areas.

The school's state ranking has been volatile, earning a 3-star rating in 2023-2024, dropping to 2 stars in 2024-2025, and rebounding to 3 stars in 2025-2026. This inconsistency, combined with the positive year-over-year test score trends, suggests the school may be on an upward trajectory. A key concern is a "middle school math slump" in grades 4, 6, and 7, where math proficiency is significantly below state averages, while 8th-grade math proficiency (47.6%) actually exceeds the state average (36.2%). This indicates that the strong Algebra program may be masking deeper issues in earlier grades. Overall, Lincoln Middle School is a school of contrasts, with pockets of excellence in advanced subjects but clear opportunities for improvement in foundational skills.