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Barton Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

424^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Barton Elementary School in Lexa, AR, serves 342 students from Pre-K through 6th grade in a small, rural community where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch. While the school has a notably low student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1—lower than nearby Anna Strong Learning Academy (16.1:1) and J.F. Wahl Elementary School (15.5:1)—its academic performance has declined significantly over the past decade, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (21.8%) and Math (18.4%) now roughly half the state average.

One bright spot is Barton’s science performance, which stands out among nearby schools. In the 2025-2026 school year, Barton’s overall science proficiency rate of 30.2% was the highest in the area, and its 3rd graders achieved a 48.8% proficiency rate—above the state average of 45.4% and far ahead of KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy (38%). However, a concerning pattern emerges in 4th grade, where proficiency drops sharply across all subjects—for example, Math falls from 30.2% in 3rd grade to just 11.5% in 4th grade—suggesting a potential challenge in the transition to upper elementary curriculum.

Despite serving a high-poverty population, the Barton School District spends the least per student ($14,196) among its peers, compared to $15,036 at KIPP Delta and $23,598 at Marvell-Elaine Elementary School in the Marvell Elaine School District. This efficient use of resources hasn’t yet reversed a decade-long decline in state ranking, but the low class sizes and strong 3rd-grade science results offer promising areas for the school to build upon.

342

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,196

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9546 Hwy 85 South
Lexa, AR 72355

(870) 572-7294

District: Barton School District

Students who attend Barton Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Barton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.4%

African American:

28.9%

Two or more races:

5.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 28th percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (24% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg24%

Arkansas avg42%

424^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

229^th of 251Barton 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	19.0	424 of 491	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.5	398 of 495	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	402 of 497	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.8	382 of 492	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.5	355 of 487	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.0	341 of 496	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.6	189 of 488	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.9	275 of 480	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.9	337 of 485	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.8	355 of 494	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	43.8	261 of 466	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	63.3	168 of 471	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.4	204 of 476	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.7	257 of 468	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.9	291 of 471	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.3	197 of 457	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.8	284 of 445	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.6	228 of 439	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	66.8	149 of 440	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.6	157 of 402	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.8	147 of 411	64.2%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Science30%-14 vs state

Reading27%-13 vs state

English Language Arts22%-18 vs state

Mathematics18%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Barton 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
Barton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9546 Hwy 85 South	Lexa	72355	Phillips County	Barton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 572-7294	342	28	12.0	100.0%	203 (59.4%)	99 (28.9%)	15 (4.4%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.6%)	19	424^th of 491 public elementary schools	13.6%		23.5	398^th of 495 public elementary schools	19.6%	26	32.6	13.4	27.9	14.6	21.8	41.9	21.1	23.3	24.4	27.4	30.2	11.5	16.3	17.1	18.4	48.8	30.8	25.6	14.6	30.2	$14,196	$1,893	$12,303
J.F. Wahl Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	125 Hickory Hill	Helena	72342	Phillips County	Helena West Helena School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 338-4404	539	35	15.5	100.0%	27 (5.0%)	490 (90.9%)	6 (1.1%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	8.9	469^th of 491 public elementary schools	4.5%		9.6	471^st of 495 public elementary schools	4.8%	2	21.5	19.0	3.4	19.4	16.7	22.8	21.0	5.1	19.4	18.1	30.4	14.0	5.1	9.0	15.5	26.6	20.0	14.1	14.9	19.4	$17,373	$5,739	$11,634
Marvell-Elaine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1018b Hwy 49	Marvell	72366	Phillips County	Marvell Elaine School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 829-1341	121	11	11.0	100.0%	4 (3.3%)	117 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.9	474^th of 491 public elementary schools	3.5%		17.9	424^th of 495 public elementary schools	14.3%	50	0.0	16.7	15.4	9.1	10.9	0.0	11.2	7.7	0.0	5.4	61.6	11.1	15.4	9.1	23.7	15.4	11.2	0.0	0.0	7.3	$23,598	$7,173	$16,425
KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1020 Plaza St.	West Helena	72390	Phillips County	KIPP Delta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 753-9800	463	30	15.6	100.0%	20 (4.3%)	432 (93.3%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	21.1	415^th of 491 public elementary schools	15.5%		15.3	444^th of 495 public elementary schools	10.3%	29	37.5	19.3	28.3	13.6	25.2	34.7	19.4	32.0	17.0	26.0	20.9	22.6	41.5	13.6	24.0	38.0	22.6	37.8	15.3	28.6	$15,036	$4,784	$10,251
Anna Strong Learning Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	214 South Alabama Street	Marianna	72360	Lee County	Lee County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 295-7140	417	26	16.1	99.8%	10 (2.4%)	379 (90.9%)	17 (4.1%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	15.9	439^th of 491 public elementary schools	10.6%		18.8	418^th of 495 public elementary schools	15.6%	21	30.1	23.9	27.6	23.9	26.6	25.9	28.2	27.6	23.9	26.5	22.3	15.2	29.8	34.7	25.4	16.7	19.6	14.9	13.0	16.0	$17,098	$5,793	$11,305

Frequently Asked Questions about Barton Elementary School

How many students attend Barton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 342 students attended Barton Elementary School.

What district is Barton Elementary School in?

Barton School District

What schools do graduates of Barton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Barton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Barton High School

What is the racial makeup of Barton Elementary School?

Students at Barton Elementary School are 59% White, 29% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Is Barton Elementary School a good school?

Barton Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.6% of Arkansas elementary schools.

Rate Barton Elementary School!

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Schools in Lexa, 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.