Summary
Lafayette County Elementary in Lewisville, AR, serves 244 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade and is the only elementary school in the Lafayette County School District. The school faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 3% of Arkansas elementary schools for the 2025-2026 school year, with proficiency rates in math (16.3%), English (14.8%), and science (11.2%) far below the state averages of 44.1%, 39.4%, and 45.4%, respectively. A very high 88.5% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating substantial economic need in the community.
Compared to nearby schools, the performance gap is stark. For example, Genoa Central Elementary achieves math proficiency of 72.6% and English proficiency of 55%, while spending about $10,459 per student—roughly half of Lafayette County’s $17,858 per student. Similarly, Taylor Elementary spends $9,911 per student and achieves proficiency rates three to four times higher. This spending paradox suggests that the school’s challenges are not due to a lack of funding but may be tied to the high level of poverty and how resources are used.
There are a few notable patterns. Third graders show a relative strength in science, with 30.4% proficiency, the only grade/subject where the school is within 15 points of the state average. However, there is a troubling drop in 4th grade, where proficiency plummets to 7.7% in English, 7.7% in math, and just 3.8% in science. This suggests a potential issue with the 4th-grade curriculum or transition. Year-over-year performance also fluctuates widely, likely due to the small student population, making it hard to gauge the impact of any single intervention.
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