KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy

KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy is a public charter school in West Helena, Arkansas, serving 463 students in grades PK through 5, and is part of the KIPP Delta Public Schools district.

While the school ranks in the bottom 20% of Arkansas elementary schools overall, it stands out as the highest-performing option in a region facing significant educational challenges. For example, it outperforms J.F. Wahl Elementary School (just two miles away) in every subject and grade level. The school shows particular strength in 5th grade Mathematics, where 41.5% of students are proficient—nearly matching the state average and far exceeding nearby schools like Barton Elementary School (16.3%) and Anna Strong Learning Academy (29.8%). Science performance is also a bright spot, with KIPP Delta achieving the highest proficiency rate (28.6%) among all local schools, including Marvell-Elaine Elementary School (7.3%).

Perhaps most encouraging is the school's upward trend in English Language Arts, which has improved by 49% over the past two years—from 16.9% to 25.2% proficiency. This progress is not seen in nearby schools like J.F. Wahl, where scores remain stagnant. Additionally, KIPP Delta achieves these results while spending less per student ($15,036) than the Helena West Helena School District ($17,373) and the Marvell Elaine School District ($23,598), suggesting efficient use of resources. While the school faces challenges—particularly a notable drop in performance between 3rd and 6th grade—it provides a significantly stronger educational foundation than the traditional public school options in the area.