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St. Joe Elementary

Q: Is St. Joe Elementary a good school?

St. Joe Elementary ranks 164 th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

St. Joe Elementary is a small, rural K-6 school in Western Grove, Arkansas, serving just 89 students as part of the Ozark Mountain School District, and it stands out as a high-performing school that is rapidly improving despite serving a community with very high economic need.

This school is a true academic standout, especially when compared to other schools in its own district. For example, St. Joe Elementary's proficiency rates are three to four times higher than those at Western Grove Elementary, with 50% of students proficient in English Language Arts versus just 13.8%. It also competes favorably with schools from higher-ranked districts, outperforming Yellville-Summit Elementary School in reading and matching the performance of Marshall Elementary School in core subjects. The school’s state ranking has jumped an impressive 86 places in just two years, a rate of improvement not seen in any nearby school, showing that its current strategies are highly effective.

What makes St. Joe Elementary particularly interesting is its balanced strength across all subjects—proficiency rates are consistently around 50% in English, reading, math, and science. With a student-teacher ratio of 10.9 to 1, the school strikes a sweet spot that allows for personalized attention without being too small to offer a full range of resources. This success is a powerful example of how school-level leadership and practices can overcome challenges, and it suggests that St. Joe Elementary is a model for how a small, rural school can achieve academic excellence that rivals schools in much wealthier districts.

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

96.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

250 South Highway 65
Western Grove, AR 72675

(870) 439-2213

District: Ozark Mountain School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.6%

Hispanic:

6.7%

Two or more races:

5.6%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 50th percentile in 2024 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (51% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2024

✓Above the Arkansas median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg30%

Arkansas avg42%

164^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 17 pts since 2024

From top 50% (2024) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Ozark Mountain School District

168^th of 251Ozark Mountain School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	66.2	164 of 491	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.3	242 of 495	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	250 of 497	49.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics52%+8 vs state

Reading52%+12 vs state

English Language Arts50%+11 vs state

Science50%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near St. Joe Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)					ATLAS Science (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
St. Joe Elementary	Public	K-6	250 South Highway 65	Western Grove	72675	Searcy County	Ozark Mountain School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(870) 439-2213	89	8	10.9	96.6%	78 (87.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.6%)	66.2	164^th of 491 public elementary schools	66.6%		53.3	242^nd of 495 public elementary schools	51.1%	78	50.0	36.4		53.4	50.0	42.8	45.5		60.0	52.1	57.1	45.5		46.7	52.2	57.2	45.5		40.0	50.0
Western Grove Elementary	Public	K-6	300 School Street	Western Grove	72685	Newton County	Ozark Mountain School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(870) 429-7102	153	10	15.9	98.0%	144 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.3%)	11.3	456^th of 491 public elementary schools	7.1%		14.1	450^th of 495 public elementary schools	9.1%	6	11.1	10.0	26.6	6.9	13.8	14.8	10.0	23.3	10.3	14.6	14.8	23.3	23.3	20.7	20.7	25.9	23.3	30.0	31.0	27.6
Bruno-Pyatt Elementary	Public	K-6	4754 Hwy 125 S	Western Grove	72685	Marion County	Ozark Mountain School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(870) 427-5227	28	9	3.2	89.3%	28 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	201 W College St	Marshall	72650	Searcy County	Searcy County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 448-3333	284	21	13.6	98.9%	265 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	67.1	159^th of 491 public elementary schools	67.6%		80.9	80^th of 495 public elementary schools	83.8%	79	42.7				42.7	44.3				44.3	57.3				57.3	57.4				57.4	$17,395	$2,684	$14,711
Valley Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	7349 School Str	Valley Springs	72682	Boone County	Valley Springs School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 302-3071	315	20	15.6	63.5%	293 (93.0%)	3 (1.0%)	7 (2.2%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.9%)	87.3	40^th of 491 public elementary schools	91.9%		73.2	121^st of 495 public elementary schools	75.6%	81	57.4	63.4			60.4	55.6	61.6			58.4	62.9	67.3			65.1	63.0	59.6			61.4	$13,575	$1,501	$12,075
Yellville-Summit Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1124 N Panther Ave	Yellville	72687	Marion County	Yellville Summit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 449-4244	442	23	19.3	99.3%	424 (95.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	64.3	175^th of 491 public elementary schools	64.4%		68.8	147^th of 495 public elementary schools	70.3%	28	42.4	45.1			43.8	39.4	42.3			40.9	56.1	64.8			60.6	54.5	46.5			50.4	$13,283	$2,415	$10,868

Frequently Asked Questions about St. Joe Elementary

How many students attend St. Joe Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 89 students attended St. Joe Elementary.

Is St. Joe Elementary a good school?

St. Joe Elementary ranks 164^th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is St. Joe Elementary in?

Ozark Mountain School District

What is the racial makeup of St. Joe Elementary?

Students at St. Joe Elementary are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

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ARArkansas Elementary School Rankings

ARArkansas District Rankings

Schools in Western Grove, AR

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.