Summary
Lisa Academy Arkansas Hybrid School in Little Rock, AR, is a small K-12 alternative school serving 236 students, and it stands out for its blended learning model that combines in-person and online instruction. This school, part of the Lisa Academy district, has shown remarkable improvement in math over the past two years, with Algebra proficiency jumping from 6.7% in 2023-2024 to 38.7% in 2024-2025, and Geometry soaring from 4.2% to 31% in the same period. It also excels in high school Biology, where 50% of 10th graders are proficient, significantly outpacing the state average of 35.1%. However, the school faces challenges in early elementary grades, such as 3rd grade math (25.1% proficient vs. 45.5% statewide) and 5th grade science (18.1% vs. 43.8%), suggesting the hybrid model may need more structure for younger learners.
One of the school's biggest strengths is its extremely low dropout rate of just 0.6% in 2024-2025, far better than nearby alternative schools like Scott Charter School (4.0%) and Arkansas Military And First Responders Academy (Amfra) (1.7%). Compared to these schools, Lisa Academy also serves a more stable population, with 47.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch versus Scott Charter's 71%. The school operates efficiently, spending $9,209 per student, which is lower than Scott Charter ($15,063) and Sylvan Hills Junior High School ($13,310), while still achieving moderate test scores and a low dropout rate.
Despite these successes, the school has a notable "middle school peak" where performance in English and reading is strong in 6th and 7th grades but drops sharply in 8th and 9th grades, indicating a transition issue. The graduation rate is also a concern, falling from 88.2% in 2023-2024 to 76.0% in 2024-2025, well below the state average of 90.1%. Overall, Lisa Academy Arkansas Hybrid School is a resilient, improving option for families seeking an alternative to traditional schooling, particularly for high school students interested in science and math, but it needs to address foundational skills in early grades and the middle-to-high school transition to fully support all students.
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