Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy

Public, Charter Grades 5-8
297th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 327 Arkansas Middle Schools
Better than 9% of Arkansas middle schools
Summary

Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy is a small public charter middle school in the Jacksonville area of Little Rock, AR, serving just 156 students in grades 5 through 8 with a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.3:1, which typically suggests a highly personalized learning environment. However, the school is currently in a state of significant academic crisis, with its state ranking plummeting from the 85th percentile in 2018-2019 to the 9th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year—its lowest point in a decade. This sharp decline is especially concerning when compared to nearby high-performing schools like Cabot Junior High South (80th percentile) and Lisa Academy North Middle School (65th percentile), which have maintained strong rankings just miles away.

The school's academic struggles are most pronounced in Mathematics, where only 16.5% of all students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to the state average of 44.1%. This gap is particularly stark in 8th grade, where just 6.7% of students are proficient in Math—a staggering 29.5 percentage points below the state average. Even Jacksonville Middle School, which also struggles at the 6th percentile, has remained consistently low rather than experiencing such a dramatic fall from grace. Science is a relative bright spot, with 29.7% of students proficient, though this still lags behind the state average of 44%. The school's small size and low student-teacher ratio have not translated into academic success, suggesting deeper issues with instructional quality or curriculum alignment.

Interestingly, the school's per-student spending has been high—reaching $15,391 in 2021-2022—which is significantly more than the $9,378 spent at the high-performing Cabot Middle School North. This indicates that poor performance is not due to a lack of funding but rather how resources are being utilized. The school operates under the Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 22nd percentile of the state. For parents considering this school, the data raises serious questions about leadership and the effectiveness of the instructional model, especially given the stark educational divide between the Jacksonville area and the nearby Cabot School District, where all four middle schools rank in the top 32% of the state.

156
Students ?
9.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$13,538
Per pupil spending ?
67.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1030 Cannon Drive
       Little Rock, AR  72076

(501) 988-1085

District: Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:
64.7%
White:
22.4%
Hispanic:
7.1%
more
 See top rated Arkansas middle schools

 Compare Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 65th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026
Strengths
Small classes — about 9 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Arkansas average (23% vs 42% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 56 percentile points since 2016
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school23%
District avg25%
Arkansas avg42%
297th of 327
Arkansas public middle schools ?
Bottom 9%▼ down 56 pts since 2016
From top 35% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
197th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArkansas percentileRating
202614.1297 of 3279.2%☆☆☆☆☆
202530.9240 of 32425.9%★☆☆☆☆
202430.9245 of 33526.9%★☆☆☆☆
202358.3146 of 33055.8%★★★☆☆
202267.990 of 31871.7%★★★★☆
202163.0118 of 33064.2%★★★☆☆
201978.449 of 31984.6%★★★★☆
201868.887 of 31872.6%★★★★☆
201762.3116 of 31563.2%★★★☆☆
201661.0108 of 31265.4%★★★☆☆
201471.069 of 28075.4%★★★★☆
By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?
Science30%-14 vs state
Reading24%-17 vs state
English Language Arts22%-17 vs state
Mathematics16%-28 vs state

4.0
6 ratings · 4 written reviews
53
41
31
21
10
Rate Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy
Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.
Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.
Tap a star to rate
What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Open Quote Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Upper Academy continues to be the #1 school in Jacksonville. The atmosphere and the people are what make the school great. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Open Quote I personally regret sending my children to this school. This school is very unorganized and under staffed. There are lots of distractiing at the school which affects the quality of instruction. The arts infused aspect of the school is very low when it comes to music, band,drama, dance. The morale of the students i slow and personally I wouldn't recommend the school until there was a change in administration and it is properly staffed. The principle doesn't seem to be experienced in managing which thus it flows down to other staff. You would think the DOT and Office Manager runs the school. They have a part time nurse, their special education teacher is almost non existent. She is shared between the two Lighthouse school is Jacksonville. The dance teacher is also shared and she is rarely there. The DOT had to step in many times as well as other staff to fill in because she was not available.
It seems to be great until you are actually involved and began to observe what really goes on at the school. The way the some teachers speak to the children is very unprofessional. One teacher more downplays the students and when it was reported by several parents, it was overlooked and issue was never really dealt with and of course she continues to belittle the children. They have not developed respect from the children and they are more controlled by yelling at them and of course giving short and long forms and work studies. Many of the students had an issue with the math teacher there but because it was said she got results, all issues was overlooked. concerning her. Honestly she do not need to work with children, she was more of an adult educator or possibly she should have been the DOT and not working directly with the kids. She was very immature in her dealings with the children, from rolling eyes, yelling, and making smart remarks and slurs. The kids didn't like her and often complained about her and the Director of teacher as well as the principle. They had some good teachers that any school would love to have, they deserve a better environment and better administration. They were dedicated even though they knew the school was not in order.
The National office really need to step up and actually get involved more in the schools and spend time in these schools to see whats going on and make sure each of their schools are properly staffed and that they are actually upholding the vision and philosophy of the organization. As I stated before, it is far from being an art infused school. I believe they can do a lot better as far as staff is concerned.
It was frustrating because almost everything was last minute with this school because they were so organized, two weeks left of school and they don't know where the field day would occur but they had parents paying for t shirts for the day but no plan of attack for it. It almost feels like it more of an experiment than actually getting down to business. I am not sure this staff can continue much longer like this, there has to be some changes. Teachers and students are not happy and that says a lot to a parent. All I can say is that there is more to just passing test and getting a rating. Many schools are overrated and in my opinion this is one of them. it has potential just need the right people with the right heart. Close Quote


by a citizen
Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Open Quote This school has lots of potential however teh socila environment among the students is poor. The zero tolerance for bullying is really taken as a joke. They have alot of discipline issues aong the kids which causes lots of distractions. Most of the students are very well behaved but the few that cause distractions make no small stir. I beleive the teachers really do care for the students but their hands are tied by lack of consistency among the ministration. I feel they do their part but when it comes to enforcing rules, the chidlren knows there is no major consequence to their actions and they take it as a joke therefore causing more disturbances. They laugh about it and are direspectful to both students and the teachers. This school has a good curriculum and they have the right teachers With a makeover of student body and more consitent manangement, structure and discipline, I believe this school can be successful. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Open Quote I really like Flightline Upper Academy! With all the information that our kids need to learn today, they find a way to break it down in small pieces; while still giving the kids the whole pie! With the pressure to succeed in our world, they make every child feel capable of learning. Close Quote





Schools Near Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private








Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Jacksonville Lighthouse Flightline Academy!


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.





Diagnostics