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Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

289^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 327 Arkansas Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Arkansas middle schools

Summary

Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School in Pine Bluff, AR, is a small public charter school serving 62 students in grades 6 through 8, with a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 7.8:1 that suggests a high potential for individualized attention. The school serves a high-needs population, with 77.4% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and it operates under the Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas district, which ranks in the bottom half of the state.

While the school's overall academic performance is low, ranking in the 12th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year, it is showing remarkable year-over-year improvement. From the 2023-2024 school year to the 2025-2026 school year, proficiency in English Language Arts has more than tripled (from 5.9% to 19.8%), Reading has nearly quadrupled (from 5.9% to 23.3%), and Mathematics has nearly tripled (from 7.8% to 22.4%). This rate of improvement is unmatched by nearby schools, many of which are stagnant or declining. However, the school's performance is inconsistent across grade levels: 8th graders excel in Reading with a 38.5% proficiency rate, the highest among comparable schools like North Little Rock Middle School (26.1%) and Mills Middle School (22.6%), while only 10% of 6th graders are proficient in ELA and Reading, the lowest in the comparison group.

Interestingly, the school's small size and low student-to-teacher ratio have not yet translated into strong academic outcomes, despite recent improvement. Nearby charter schools like Lisa Academy West Middle School and Estem Junior High Public Charter School achieve top rankings with moderate class sizes, highlighting that the charter label alone does not guarantee success. For parents, Friendship Aspire offers a unique environment with potential for personalized attention and a clear upward trajectory, but it also faces significant challenges, particularly in supporting its youngest students.

Students ?

7.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

77.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

Little Rock Ar 72204
Pine Bluff, AR 71603

(501) 621-1500

District: Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas

Racial breakdown:

African American:

79.0%

Hispanic:

19.4%

White:

1.6%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2024 → 12th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2024

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (21% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Science scores 25 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg31%

Arkansas avg42%

289^th of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 9 pts since 2024

From bottom 3% (2024) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas

162^nd of 251Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas 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	17.0	289 of 327	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.8	299 of 324	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.9	325 of 335	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Reading23%-17 vs state

Mathematics22%-22 vs state

English Language Arts20%-20 vs state

Science19%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle 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 Algebra (2026)			ATLAS Geometry (2026)		ATLAS Science (2026)				ATLAS Biology (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 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 7th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 8th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 8th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	Little Rock Ar 72204	Pine Bluff	71603	Pulaski County	Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(501) 621-1500	62	8	7.8	77.4%	1 (1.6%)	49 (79.0%)	12 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17	289^th of 327 public middle schools	11.6%		11.8	299^th of 324 public middle schools	7.7%	10	10.0	30.3	23.1	19.8	10.0	33.3	38.5	23.3	20.0	24.2	25.0	22.4						12.5	24.2	25.0	18.8
Dunbar Magnet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1100 Wright Ave	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 447-2600	315	32	9.7	99.0%	10 (3.2%)	269 (85.4%)	32 (10.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	4.8	323^rd of 327 public middle schools	1.2%		7	313^th of 324 public middle schools	3.4%	10	12.3	11.4	7.4	10.6	14.7	13.8	10.5	13.3	15.6	17.0	9.7	14.7		40.0	40.0			11.4	13.8	11.6	12.4			$20,142	$2,364	$17,778
Pulaski Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	401 N Pine	Little Rock	72205	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-3200	585	41	14.2	59.0%	212 (36.2%)	335 (57.3%)	21 (3.6%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	40.4	207^th of 327 public middle schools	36.7%		43.5	191^st of 324 public middle schools	41.0%	16	36.9	34.2	34.8	35.3	37.5	35.9	36.0	36.5	24.9	28.1	25.0	26.1		77.5	77.5			35.2	34.8	41.7	37.3			$16,686	$2,009	$14,677
Arkansas Virtual Academy Middle School	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-8	717 West 7th Street	Little Rock	72201	Pulaski County	Arkansas Virtual Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(501) 664-4225	1,315	44	30.1	56.3%	875 (66.5%)	239 (18.2%)	107 (8.1%)	8 (0.6%)	23 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (4.7%)	26.4	258^th of 327 public middle schools	21.1%		34	228^th of 324 public middle schools	29.6%	30	23.1	20.3	27.4	24.0	28.3	27.4	33.1	30.0	21.7	31.0	29.2	27.7	80.0	46.9	51.4			24.5	31.6	32.7	30.2
Estem Junior High Public Charter School	Public, Charter	7-8	112 W 3rd St	Little Rock	72201	Pulaski County	Estem Public Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 748-9335	401	30	13.3	73.6%	54 (13.5%)	286 (71.3%)	43 (10.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)	57.1	131^st of 327 public middle schools	59.9%		52	151^st of 324 public middle schools	53.4%	20		37.9	42.2	40.2		37.3	42.5	40.0		39.1	42.7	40.9		89.5	88.5				36.6	41.8	39.3			$12,641	$1,317	$11,324
Mann Magnet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	1000 E. Roosevelt	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 447-3100	557	41	13.7	99.5%	29 (5.2%)	413 (74.1%)	97 (17.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.2%)	15.7	293^rd of 327 public middle schools	10.4%		15.1	289^th of 324 public middle schools	10.8%	4	21.2	24.7	21.3	22.3	22.4	25.2	24.2	24.0	20.0	19.2	11.6	17.0		48.8	48.8			24.1	29.5	23.8	25.7			$16,625	$1,860	$14,765
Lisa Academy West Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	23 Corporate Hill Dr	Little Rock	72205	Pulaski County	Lisa Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 246-5853	430	25	17.1	64.9%	63 (14.7%)	139 (32.3%)	144 (33.5%)	74 (17.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	55.1	143^rd of 327 public middle schools	56.3%		53.7	144^th of 324 public middle schools	55.6%	1	37.3	44.8	45.9	42.7	42.4	48.8	50.9	47.4	43.3	15.6	14.0	27.0	89.6	57.1	73.6	83.3	83.3	39.8	41.6	35.9	39.4	93.3	93.3	$10,875	$680	$10,195
Mills Middle School	Public	6-8	1205 E. Dixon Rd	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 234-5251	420	42	9.9	65.2%	63 (15.0%)	205 (48.8%)	129 (30.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.0%)	14.8	294^th of 327 public middle schools	10.1%		10.7	305^th of 324 public middle schools	5.9%	11	22.9	21.4	19.7	21.2	26.6	26.7	22.6	25.2	21.1	15.5	15.9	17.5	33.3	20.9	25.6			18.4	26.0	26.3	23.8			$15,755	$1,292	$14,462
North Little Rock Middle School 6th Grade Campus	Public	6	2300 Lakeview Road	North Little Rock	72116	Pulaski County	North Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 771-8250	548	44	12.5	100.0%	82 (15.0%)	347 (63.3%)	78 (14.2%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.0%)								(n/a)	29.1			29.1	29.7			29.7	28.2			28.2						27.9			27.9			$14,255	$2,557	$11,698
North Little Rock Middle School	Public	7-8	2400 Lakeview Road	North Little Rock	72116	Pulaski County	North Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 771-8200	1,036	73	14.1	100.0%	176 (17.0%)	643 (62.1%)	157 (15.2%)	6 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (4.9%)	14	299^th of 327 public middle schools	8.6%		14.3	294^th of 324 public middle schools	9.3%	5		18.4	24.6	21.2		19.4	26.1	22.5		17.7	15.3	16.7		16.7	25.7	70.0	70.0		21.0	23.1	22.0			$12,826	$2,380	$10,446

Frequently Asked Questions about Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School

How many students attend Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 62 students attended Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School.

What district is Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School in?

Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas

What is the racial makeup of Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School?

Students at Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School are 79% African American, 19% Hispanic, 2% White.

Is Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School a good school?

Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Arkansas middle schools.

Rate Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle School!

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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.