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Ward Central Elementary

Q: Is Ward Central Elementary a good school?

Ward Central Elementary ranks 53 rd of 495 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

53^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 495 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Ward Central Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Cabot School District in Arkansas. With 521 students, the school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ward Central Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outpacing the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all subjects. In the 2024-2025 school year, 52.9% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 43.5% for the Cabot School District and 34.7% for Arkansas. The school's Mathematics proficiency rate was even more impressive at 70.3%, significantly higher than the district's 55.2% and the state's 38.7%. Additionally, Ward Central Elementary's Science proficiency rate of 52.9% surpassed the district's 47.8% and the state's 38.1%.

Compared to other elementary schools in the Cabot School District, Ward Central Elementary stands out for its lower student-teacher ratio of 14.6, compared to ratios ranging from 15.0 to 16.7 at nearby schools. Despite having a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (59.12%) than the district average, the school's exceptional academic performance suggests it is effectively supporting students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Mountain Springs Elementary, another high-performing school in the district, has similar academic results but a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

520

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,552

Per pupil spending ?

66%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1570 Wilson Loop
Cabot, AR 72023

(501) 743-3569

District: Cabot School District

Students who attend Ward Central Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Cabot Junior High North
	Cabot Middle School North
High:	Cabot High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.7%

Two or more races:

11.2%

Hispanic:

8.1%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 54th percentile in 2015 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (57% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Arkansas elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 35 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school57%

District avg47%

Arkansas avg36%

53^rd of 495

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 35 pts since 2015

From top 46% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 9Elementary Schools in the Cabot School District

34^th of 250Cabot 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
2025	87.0	53 of 495	89.3%	★★★★☆
2024	76.3	103 of 497	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	83.0	61 of 492	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	79.9	84 of 487	82.8%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	164 of 496	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.7	112 of 488	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	50.1	254 of 480	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.6	313 of 485	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	55.0	223 of 494	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	50.2	215 of 466	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.4	203 of 471	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.1	237 of 476	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.2	126 of 468	73.1%	★★★★☆
2011	62.4	201 of 471	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.4	290 of 457	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.8	237 of 445	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.5	272 of 439	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.2	220 of 440	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.1	209 of 402	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	48.2	247 of 411	39.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics70%+32 vs state

English Language Arts53%+18 vs state

Science53%+15 vs state

Reading52%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ward Central Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2025)			ATLAS Reading (2025)			ATLAS Mathematics (2025)			ATLAS Science (2025)			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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ward Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1570 Wilson Loop	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 743-3569	520	32	16.0	66.0%	409 (78.7%)	10 (1.9%)	42 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (11.2%)	87	53^rd of 495 public elementary schools	89.3%		76.3	103^rd of 497 public elementary schools	79.3%	50	54.7	50.7	52.9	53.7	49.4	51.7	68.4	72.8	70.3	59.0	45.5	52.9	$12,552	$1,714	$10,838
Cabot Learning Academy	Public	K-4	18 Spirit Drive	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(501) 743-3540	28	2	15.5	78.6%	18 (64.3%)	3 (10.7%)	1 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (21.4%)								(n/a)
Eastside Elementary School	Public	K-5	17 Bellamy	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 743-3563	550	35	15.8	44.2%	423 (76.9%)	15 (2.7%)	45 (8.2%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.1%)	82.8	68^th of 495 public elementary schools	86.3%		78.9	86^th of 497 public elementary schools	82.7%	18	43.0	53.7	48.7	42.1	48.8	45.6	60.8	67.5	64.4	48.6	66.7	58.3	$10,087	$543	$9,544
Northside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	814 West Locust	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 743-3568	370	28	13.2	60.3%	268 (72.4%)	12 (3.2%)	33 (8.9%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	51 (13.8%)	58.5	207^th of 495 public elementary schools	58.2%		33.8	355^th of 497 public elementary schools	28.6%	148	33.8	42.1	37.7	32.3	42.1	36.9	41.5	50.8	45.9	38.4	45.6	41.8	$14,084	$1,476	$12,608
Stagecoach Elementary School	Public	K-4	850 Stagecoach	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 743-3574	481	30	15.8	45.9%	399 (83.0%)	6 (1.2%)	30 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.4%)	84.1	61^st of 495 public elementary schools	87.7%		74.6	110^th of 497 public elementary schools	77.9%	49	43.4	53.7	48.8	42.4	55.5	49.3	58.6	70.0	64.6	54.6	54.6	54.6	$11,537	$669	$10,868
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	36 Pond Street	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 743-3564	394	27	14.4	67.3%	296 (75.1%)	18 (4.6%)	28 (7.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (12.4%)	58.5	208^th of 495 public elementary schools	58.0%		55.1	231^st of 497 public elementary schools	53.5%	23	31.1	44.3	38.0	36.5	40.5	38.6	32.4	48.1	40.5	41.9	48.1	45.1	$14,251	$2,049	$12,202
Beebe Elementary School	Public	2-4	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	904	49	18.4	63.7%	764 (84.5%)	37 (4.1%)	45 (5.0%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.9%)	58.7	205^th of 495 public elementary schools	58.6%		63	181^st of 497 public elementary schools	63.6%	24	34.9	36.8	35.8	36.8	38.3	37.5	50.6	49.1	49.8	43.6	36.5	40.1	$11,373	$1,346	$10,028
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1701 South Second	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 743-3566	424	30	13.9	66.3%	288 (67.9%)	14 (3.3%)	63 (14.9%)	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	46 (10.8%)	87.7	51^st of 495 public elementary schools	89.7%		84	55^th of 497 public elementary schools	88.9%	4	54.4	51.7	53.1	53.0	53.2	53.1	55.9	61.3	58.5	58.8	59.7	59.3	$14,024	$3,105	$10,920
Beebe Early Childhood	Public	K-1	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	439	30	14.4	64.5%	348 (79.3%)	19 (4.3%)	27 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.8%)								(n/a)													$10,012	$1,084	$8,928
Southside Elementary School	Public	K-4	2600 South Pine	Cabot	72023	Lonoke County	Cabot School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 743-3567	551	32	17.4	46.1%	434 (78.8%)	11 (2.0%)	58 (10.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (7.8%)	75.9	104^th of 495 public elementary schools	79.0%		66.5	159^th of 497 public elementary schools	68.0%	55	51.3	44.9	48.4	47.2	41.8	44.8	59.4	58.1	58.8	48.0	39.8	44.3	$9,906	$932	$8,974

Frequently Asked Questions about Ward Central Elementary

Is Ward Central Elementary a good school?

Ward Central Elementary ranks 53^rd of 495 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Ward Central Elementary in?

Cabot School District

How many students attend Ward Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 520 students attended Ward Central Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Ward Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ward Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Cabot Junior High North
Middle : Cabot Middle School North
High : Cabot High School

What is the racial makeup of Ward Central Elementary?

Students at Ward Central Elementary are 79% White, 11% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 2% African American.

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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.