Summary:
The Ozark School District in Arkansas is home to two elementary schools serving grades PK-5: Elgin B Milton Primary School (PK-3) and Ozark Upper Elementary School (4-5). Together, they educate 778 students, with a majority (527) at the primary level, and both schools serve a student body with significant economic need, as indicated by free/reduced lunch rates of 68.5% and 62.95%, respectively.
A clear curricular divide exists between the two schools. Elgin B Milton Primary School excels in Mathematics, achieving a 58.2% proficiency rate in 2025-2026—outpacing the district (46.5%) and state (44.1%) by over 12 points—but struggles in Reading (36.4%). In contrast, Ozark Upper Elementary School shows strength in English Language Arts (ELA) and Reading, outperforming the state by roughly 10 percentage points in 2024-2025, but is weaker in Mathematics (43.6%). Notably, Ozark Upper’s 5th graders consistently outperform both 4th graders and state averages in ELA, Reading, and Math, suggesting highly effective upper-grade instruction. Science is a consistent weakness for both schools, with both scoring well below the state average of 44% in 2025-2026.
Resource allocation presents a paradox. Elgin B Milton spends $1,167 more per student ($12,882 vs. $11,715) and maintains a much lower student-teacher ratio (13.7:1 vs. 18.1:1) than Ozark Upper Elementary, yet its overall state ranking (48th percentile) is only slightly higher than Ozark Upper’s (45th percentile) in the most recent year. The two schools also had opposite performance trajectories between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026: Elgin B Milton improved across all subjects, while Ozark Upper declined across all subjects. This inverse relationship may reflect changes in curriculum, testing conditions, or cohort effects, and raises questions about the return on investment for smaller class sizes at the primary level.
Thank you for your feedback!