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Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

413^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Walnut Ridge Elementary School in Walnut Ridge, AR, serves 630 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade and is part of the Lawrence County School District, which has a 2-star rating.

Walnut Ridge Elementary is currently ranked 413th out of 491 elementary schools in Arkansas (16th percentile), earning a 1-star rating. This places it in a challenging position academically, with performance significantly below the state average in all core subjects. The school has a high rate of economic disadvantage, with 61.11% of students receiving free or reduced lunch. A key concern is a steep decline in state rankings over the last four years, dropping from the 38th percentile to the 16th percentile. The most glaring weakness is in 3rd Grade Mathematics, where only 16.3% of students are proficient—a staggering 29.2 percentage points below the state average. However, there is a glimmer of hope in upper grades: 4th and 5th Grade Math scores are much closer to the state average, suggesting that math intervention programs may be effective after 3rd grade.

Interestingly, Hoxie Elementary School, just 1.69 miles away, serves a similar student population but outperforms Walnut Ridge in every subject, despite having a 100% free/reduced lunch rate. This suggests that instructional strategies or school culture may be significant differentiators. Walnut Ridge spends $11,058 per student, which is higher than the high-performing Westside Elementary School ($9,756), reinforcing that how money is spent matters more than how much is spent. Nearby Sloan-Hendrix Elementary School (16 miles away) scores nearly double in Math proficiency (54.9% vs. 28.2%), while Imboden Area Charter School has a low poverty rate but still struggles academically, showing that poverty is not the only factor in performance.

630

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,058

Per pupil spending ?

61.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

508 E Free
Walnut Ridge, AR 72476

(870) 886-3482

District: Lawrence County School District

Students who attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Walnut Ridge High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.7%

Hispanic:

5.2%

Two or more races:

3.3%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Walnut Ridge Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 31st percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg32%

Arkansas avg42%

413^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 15 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

154^th of 251Lawrence County 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	21.4	413 of 491	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	396 of 495	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.1	348 of 497	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.5	307 of 492	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.5	330 of 487	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.2	348 of 496	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.7	313 of 488	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.7	276 of 480	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.3	322 of 485	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.7	340 of 494	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.1	302 of 466	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.3	290 of 471	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.0	269 of 476	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.9	239 of 468	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.5	282 of 471	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.3	278 of 457	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	70.9	124 of 445	72.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Reading29%-12 vs state

Science28%-16 vs state

Mathematics28%-16 vs state

English Language Arts25%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Walnut Ridge Elementary School

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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
Walnut Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	508 E Free	Walnut Ridge	72476	Lawrence County	Lawrence County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 886-3482	630	38	16.4	61.1%	565 (89.7%)	4 (0.6%)	33 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	21 (3.3%)	21.4	413^th of 491 public elementary schools	15.9%		23.7	396^th of 495 public elementary schools	20.0%	17	28.8	22.6	21.5	26.1	24.7	32.5	28.8	22.8	30.4	28.6	16.3	35.0	37.9	23.1	28.2	33.8	31.3	19.0	28.9	28.3	$11,058	$1,771	$9,288
Hoxie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	602 SW Hartigan	Hoxie	72433	Lawrence County	Hoxie School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 886-2401	500	28	18.1	100.0%	470 (94.0%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	38.6	320^th of 491 public elementary schools	34.8%		33.7	349^th of 495 public elementary schools	29.5%	29	31.3	40.0	23.0	25.0	30.0	40.1	43.3	29.6	30.8	36.4	47.5	30.0	31.2	32.7	36.4	48.8	51.6	23.0	38.5	41.1	$11,444	$1,139	$10,305
Pocahontas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	2864 Thomasville	Pocahontas	72455	Randolph County	Pocahontas School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 892-4573	703	39	17.9	74.5%	545 (77.5%)	4 (0.6%)	28 (4.0%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	87 (12.4%)	33 (4.7%)	26	396^th of 491 public elementary schools	19.3%		30.5	368^th of 495 public elementary schools	25.7%	28	35.1				35.1	32.1				32.1	28.2				28.2	30.3				30.3	$10,801	$1,781	$9,020
Imboden Area Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	605 W. Third St	Imboden	72434	Lawrence County	Imboden Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 869-3015	70	5	14.0	14.3%	66 (94.3%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					22.2					37.0					14.8					18.5	$15,563	$1,999	$13,564
Sloan-Hendrix Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2 Greyhound Cir.	Imboden	72434	Lawrence County	Sloan Hendrix School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 869-2101	456	28	16.3	71.3%	440 (96.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.3%)	50	256^th of 491 public elementary schools	47.9%		47.9	272^nd of 495 public elementary schools	45.1%	16	34.4	37.9	28.9	38.9	34.9	34.4	37.9	28.8	37.0	34.5	64.1	58.6	50.8	44.5	54.9	51.6	43.1	38.9	37.0	43.0	$11,290	$1,531	$9,759
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1834 Hwy 91 West	Jonesboro	72416	Craighead County	WESTSIDE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT (Craighead)	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 935-7501	756	42	18.0	55.0%	692 (91.5%)	19 (2.5%)	11 (1.5%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	26 (3.4%)	56.1	222^nd of 491 public elementary schools	54.8%		64.7	165^th of 495 public elementary schools	66.7%	57	42.9	37.7			40.3	41.5	38.3			40.0	50.7	48.0			49.3	50.7	48.0			49.3	$9,756	$907	$8,849
Math & Science Magnet School	Public, Magnet	1-6	213 E Thomas Green Rd	Jonesboro	72401	Craighead County	Jonesboro School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(870) 933-5845	499	32	15.4	100.0%	94 (18.8%)	288 (57.7%)	94 (18.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.2%)	10.9	458^th of 491 public elementary schools	6.7%		10.2	466^th of 495 public elementary schools	5.9%	8	18.7	14.9	25.4	7.9	16.9	22.0	16.3	26.9	9.4	18.9	17.4	12.0	25.0	18.4	18.0	25.3	24.3	30.9	16.9	24.5	$13,549	$2,705	$10,844

Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Ridge Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Walnut Ridge Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Walnut Ridge High School

What district is Walnut Ridge Elementary School in?

Lawrence County School District

What is the racial makeup of Walnut Ridge Elementary School?

Students at Walnut Ridge Elementary School are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 630 students attended Walnut Ridge Elementary School.

Is Walnut Ridge Elementary School a good school?

Walnut Ridge Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Arkansas elementary schools.

Rate Walnut Ridge Elementary School!

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresNewJul 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.