Summary
Berryville Intermediate School in Berryville, AR, serves 406 students in grades 3 through 5 within the Berryville School District, a mid-sized school in a high-poverty community where over 73% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. After years of a 2-star rating, the school recently improved to a 3-star rating and the 56th percentile in state rankings for 2023-2024, signaling a positive trajectory. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.6:1 and moderate spending per student ($12,324), the school prioritizes smaller class sizes, which can be a big plus for families.
One standout strength is mathematics: in the 2025-2026 school year, 44.7% of students were proficient in Math, slightly above the state average of 44.1% and notably higher than the school’s own performance in English Language Arts (34%) and Science (36%). This makes Math a clear differentiator compared to nearby schools. For instance, Eureka Springs Elementary School (82nd percentile, 4-star) outperforms Berryville in all subjects, especially Science (63.1% proficient), while Alpena Elementary School (61st percentile, 3-star) shows strong Math (54.3%) and Reading (43.8%). However, Berryville outperforms Green Forest Elementary School (42nd percentile, 2-star) in most subjects, despite Green Forest having a much higher poverty rate (87.64%). This places Berryville in a competitive middle ground within the region.
A fascinating pattern emerges in grade-level performance: 3rd graders at Berryville significantly underperform the state average in every subject (e.g., 26.7% vs. 42.9% in ELA), but by 4th grade, students not only catch up but surpass the state average in Mathematics (53.4% vs. 47%). This suggests the school’s curriculum or instruction is particularly effective in 4th grade, offering a "bounce back" that parents may find encouraging. The comparison with Eureka Springs is striking—both serve communities with similar poverty levels (around 73%), yet Eureka Springs outperforms Berryville by a wide margin, likely due to its higher spending per student ($17,900 vs. $12,324). This highlights how district-level strategy and resources can drive performance differences, even in similar communities.
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