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Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary

Public, Charter Grades K-4

426^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary is a small K-4 charter school in Jacksonville, AR, serving 210 students and operating under the Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools district. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 84.29% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and its academic performance has historically ranked in the bottom 20% of Arkansas elementary schools, currently sitting at the 13th percentile statewide.

The most striking feature of Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary is its spending: in the 2023-2024 school year, it spent $30,189 per student, more than double the spending of nearby schools like Sherwood Elementary ($14,181) and Sylvan Hills Elementary ($13,161). Despite this high investment, its academic outcomes remain low, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (31.9%) and Math (15.2%) well below state averages. For context, Sherwood Elementary, which spends less than half as much per student, achieves proficiency rates that are often double or triple those of Jacksonville Lighthouse (e.g., 52.5% in ELA). This spending-versus-performance paradox raises questions about how resources are being used.

However, when compared to its closest geographic neighbors within the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, the school looks much better. It significantly outperforms Jacksonville Elementary (ranked 490 out of 491) and Bobby G Lester Elementary, with ELA proficiency more than double that of Jacksonville Elementary (31.9% vs. 13.3%). The school also maintains a low student-teacher ratio of 15:1, suggesting a focus on individualized attention. While it is not competitive with top-tier Pulaski County Special School District schools like Sherwood or Cato Elementary, it may be a preferable option for families in the immediate Jacksonville area seeking an alternative to struggling local traditional public schools.

210

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,189

Per pupil spending ?

84.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

251 N. First Street
Jacksonville, AR 72076

(501) 985-1200

District: Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

76.2%

White:

9.0%

Hispanic:

8.6%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 18th percentile in 2016 → 13th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (26% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg25%

Arkansas avg42%

426^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 18% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

197^th of 251Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools 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	18.9	426 of 491	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	430 of 495	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	374 of 497	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	446 of 492	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.2	458 of 487	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	438 of 496	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.4	393 of 488	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	412 of 480	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.6	391 of 485	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.6	403 of 494	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	30.5	382 of 471	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.5	328 of 476	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	51.4	275 of 468	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.0	309 of 471	34.4%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts32%-8 vs state

Science29%-15 vs state

Reading27%-13 vs state

Mathematics15%-29 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a principal
Tuesday, July 14, 2020

JLCS Main is feels like a family. The school has a bright and welcoming atmosphere with a fantastic staff. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The principal and office staff make me feel welcome. Main promotes positive school culture. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, November 17, 2014

JLCS is an awesome school!! I feel that they are more then a school that teaches, they are family. From admin to the custodians everyone cares for the kids. Close Quote

Schools Near Jacksonville Lighthouse 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 (2025)	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 All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary	Public, Charter	K-4	251 N. First Street	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 985-1200	210	14	15.0	84.3%	19 (9.0%)	160 (76.2%)	18 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.2%)	18.9	426^th of 491 public elementary schools	13.2%		17.4	430^th of 495 public elementary schools	13.1%	4	29.7	34.4		31.9	24.3	31.0		27.3	16.2	13.8		15.2	29.7	27.5		28.8	$30,189	$7,691	$22,498
Jacksonville Elementary School	Public	K-5	2400 Linda Lane	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 457-8300	733	42	17.4	54.3%	150 (20.5%)	413 (56.3%)	72 (9.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (13.0%)	4.2	490^th of 491 public elementary schools	0.2%		6.2	487^th of 495 public elementary schools	1.6%	3	9.7	16.4	14.1	13.3	11.4	15.6	15.1	13.9	13.9	9.9	12.1	11.9	8.1	13.2	9.1	10.2	$12,195	$1,755	$10,440
Murrell Taylor Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Murrell Taylor Drive	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 985-1581	428	28	15.2	62.9%	72 (16.8%)	278 (65.0%)	42 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.9%)	28.5	384^th of 491 public elementary schools	21.8%		41.2	302^nd of 495 public elementary schools	39.0%	82	24.7	38.2	29.6	30.9	28.2	42.0	35.2	35.0	24.7	33.3	27.8	28.6	29.4	29.6	33.9	30.6	$16,007	$2,155	$13,852
Bobby G Lester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Harris Road 72076	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 982-7456	421	32	13.1	45.1%	142 (33.7%)	189 (44.9%)	48 (11.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	35 (8.3%)	12.8	448^th of 491 public elementary schools	8.8%		28.5	374^th of 495 public elementary schools	24.4%	74	23.2	18.8	20.0	20.8	30.1	17.2	22.7	23.6	24.6	20.3	25.3	23.5	25.0	20.3	18.6	21.3	$14,165	$1,169	$12,996
William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	142 Hollywood Avenue	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1200	586	39	15.0	72.9%	95 (16.2%)	365 (62.3%)	73 (12.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.7%)	20	418^th of 491 public elementary schools	14.9%		24.5	392^nd of 495 public elementary schools	20.8%	26	26.1	31.4	27.2	27.9	27.2	32.8	27.1	28.8	20.6	26.9	30.0	25.4	21.7	23.9	31.4	25.4	$14,059	$1,358	$12,701
Oakbrooke Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Thornhill	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1190	408	26	15.6	57.1%	148 (36.3%)	198 (48.5%)	26 (6.4%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.1%)	38.6	319^th of 491 public elementary schools	35.0%		42.4	300^th of 495 public elementary schools	39.4%	19	22.5	35.8	44.0	33.9	22.6	37.7	49.1	36.2	22.9	33.9	35.6	30.6	32.8	26.5	66.1	42.2	$13,741	$1,250	$12,491
Bayou Meto Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26405 Highway 107	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 988-4131	416	28	14.7	48.6%	254 (61.1%)	91 (21.9%)	36 (8.7%)	7 (1.7%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	33.6	349^th of 491 public elementary schools	28.9%		38.6	321^st of 495 public elementary schools	35.2%	28	35.1	24.6	47.2	35.1	31.6	25.8	47.3	34.3	45.7	24.2	38.2	35.4	35.1	22.7	27.3	28.0	$13,143	$1,471	$11,673
Cato Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9906 Jacksonville Cato Road	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1160	305	17	17.4	60.7%	143 (46.9%)	97 (31.8%)	38 (12.5%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.9%)	56.8	217^th of 491 public elementary schools	55.8%		46.1	282^nd of 495 public elementary schools	43.0%	65	34.2	49.0	58.0	48.2	34.2	44.9	58.0	46.7	26.3	42.8	44.0	38.7	36.8	42.8	48.0	43.0	$13,309	$831	$12,478
Harris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4424 Highway 161 North	North Little Rock	72117	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 955-3550	187	16	11.4	64.7%	18 (9.6%)	135 (72.2%)	22 (11.8%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	8.6	471^st of 491 public elementary schools	4.1%		8.3	479^th of 495 public elementary schools	3.2%	8	27.2	21.7	4.3	19.0	21.3	17.4	8.6	16.5	9.1	30.4	8.7	15.2	12.1	26.1	4.3	13.9	$22,401	$2,258	$20,143
Sherwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	307 Verona Avenue	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1150	424	22	19.0	46.7%	173 (40.8%)	181 (42.7%)	28 (6.6%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	33 (7.8%)	67.6	156^th of 491 public elementary schools	68.2%		63.5	171^st of 495 public elementary schools	65.5%	15	37.5	52.4	68.1	52.5	37.5	58.7	72.3	56.3	14.6	36.0	68.1	39.0	50.0	55.5	61.7	55.7	$14,181	$1,141	$13,040

Frequently Asked Questions about Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary?

Students at Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary are 76% African American, 9% White, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary in?

Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools

Is Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary a good school?

Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary ranks in the bottom 13.2% of Arkansas elementary schools.

How many students attend Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 210 students attended Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary.

Rate Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary!

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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.