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Amanda Gist Elementary School

Q: Is Amanda Gist Elementary School a good school?

Amanda Gist Elementary School ranks 117 th of 495 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

117^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 495 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 76% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Amanda Gist Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Cotter, Arkansas, serving 353 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Cotter School District, which is ranked 20th out of 250 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Amanda Gist Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in academic subjects, with higher percentages of students proficient or better in English Language Arts (44.2% vs. 34.7%), Reading (46.1% vs. 35.3%), Mathematics (49.5% vs. 38.7%), and Science (50% vs. 38.1%) compared to the state averages. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 25% of Arkansas elementary schools over the past 10 years, and currently ranks 117th out of 495 elementary schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Despite having a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 100% to 110.76% in recent years, the school has maintained a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.6 to 13.4 students per teacher in the past three school years.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Bruno-Pyatt Elementary, Norfork Elementary School, and Yellville-Summit Elementary School, Amanda Gist Elementary generally outperforms them in academic metrics, suggesting that the school is providing a higher quality of education compared to its neighbors within the Cotter School District.

374

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,641

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

152 Lucille
Cotter, AR 72626

(870) 435-6655

District: Cotter School District

Students who attend Amanda Gist Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Cotter High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.9%

Hispanic:

1.9%

Two or more races:

1.3%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Amanda Gist Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 70th percentile in 2022 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (47% vs 36% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Arkansas elementary schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 76th (2025) from a 70th-percentile low (2022)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg45%

Arkansas avg36%

117^th of 495

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From top 14% (2015) to top 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

20^th of 250Cotter 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	74.0	117 of 495	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	107 of 497	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	76.6	105 of 492	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	145 of 487	70.2%	★★★★☆
2021	71.3	127 of 496	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	69.1	138 of 488	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	75.0	104 of 480	78.3%	★★★★☆
2017	72.8	107 of 485	77.9%	★★★★☆
2016	71.3	107 of 494	78.3%	★★★★☆
2015	80.8	66 of 466	85.8%	★★★★☆
2014	76.0	87 of 471	81.5%	★★★★☆
2013	79.0	58 of 476	87.8%	★★★★☆
2012	73.5	98 of 468	79.1%	★★★★☆
2011	79.1	66 of 471	86.0%	★★★★☆
2010	82.4	45 of 457	90.2%	★★★★★
2009	80.3	62 of 445	86.1%	★★★★☆
2008	74.4	95 of 439	78.4%	★★★★☆
2007	76.7	83 of 440	81.1%	★★★★☆
2006	77.8	71 of 402	82.3%	★★★★☆
2005	81.5	49 of 411	88.1%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2024-2025) ?

Science50%+12 vs state

Mathematics50%+11 vs state

Reading46%+11 vs state

English Language Arts44%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Amanda Gist Elementary School

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 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
Amanda Gist Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	152 Lucille	Cotter	72626	Baxter County	Cotter School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 435-6655	374	28	13.2	100.0%	355 (94.9%)	4 (1.1%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	74	117^th of 495 public elementary schools	76.4%		75.2	107^th of 497 public elementary schools	78.5%	10	40.4	41.8	55.3	40.4	44.2	43.9	41.8	55.3	44.7	46.1	49.1	52.7	55.4	40.4	49.5	43.8	54.6	66.0	36.2	50.0	$13,641	$2,219	$11,421
Flippin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	144 School Lane.	Flippin	72634	Marion County	Flippin School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 453-8860	337	34	9.8	100.0%	317 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	65.3	161^st of 495 public elementary schools	67.5%		52.3	243^rd of 497 public elementary schools	51.1%	82	44.2	41.9			43.2	45.6	39.6			43.2	44.2	34.9			40.5	41.2	50.0			44.6	$15,478	$3,053	$12,424
Hackler Intermediate School	Public	3-5	1310 Post Oak Road	Mountain Home	72653	Baxter County	Mountain Home School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 425-1288	837	45	18.5	50.4%	751 (89.7%)	9 (1.1%)	36 (4.3%)	7 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (3.7%)	62	178^th of 495 public elementary schools	64.0%		66	163^rd of 497 public elementary schools	67.2%	15	32.5	38.3	47.0		39.4	32.8	40.2	45.2		39.7	45.9	42.6	51.0		46.4	41.9	34.2	44.4		40.0	$10,360	$1,150	$9,209
Mountain Home Kindergarten	Public	PK-K	1310 Post Oak Road	Mountain Home	72653	Baxter County	Mountain Home School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 425-1256	300	18	16.3	51.3%	273 (91.0%)	2 (0.7%)	11 (3.7%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.0%)								(n/a)																					$13,607	$1,691	$11,917
Nelson Wilks Herron Elementary	Public	1-2	618 North College	Mountain Home	72653	Baxter County	Mountain Home School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 425-1251	559	32	17.3	48.5%	496 (88.7%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (4.8%)	12 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.6%)								(n/a)																					$11,265	$1,541	$9,723
Yellville-Summit Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1124 N Panther Ave	Yellville	72687	Marion County	Yellville Summit School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 449-4244	442	23	19.3	99.3%	424 (95.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.3%)	68.8	147^th of 495 public elementary schools	70.3%		66.6	157^th of 497 public elementary schools	68.4%	10	39.1	32.5			35.6	40.6	40.3			40.5	63.7	52.0			57.5	55.0	49.4			52.0	$13,283	$2,415	$10,868
Norfork Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	161 Mildred Simpson Drive	Norfork	72658	Baxter County	Norfork School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 499-5228	273	18	14.7	60.8%	264 (96.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	75.9	105^th of 495 public elementary schools	78.8%		84.5	54^th of 497 public elementary schools	89.1%	51	51.2	55.6	48.5	51.5	51.9	46.5	53.3	48.5	51.5	50.0	44.2	57.8	36.3	37.1	44.9	39.6	46.7	39.4	48.5	43.6	$12,547	$1,467	$11,079
Bruno-Pyatt Elementary	Public	K-6	4754 Hwy 125 S	Western Grove	72685	Marion County	Ozark Mountain School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(870) 427-5227	28	9	3.2	89.3%	28 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					60.0					53.3					40.0					53.3

Frequently Asked Questions about Amanda Gist Elementary School

How many students attend Amanda Gist Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 374 students attended Amanda Gist Elementary School.

Is Amanda Gist Elementary School a good school?

Amanda Gist Elementary School ranks 117^th of 495 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Amanda Gist Elementary School in?

Cotter School District

What is the racial makeup of Amanda Gist Elementary School?

Students at Amanda Gist Elementary School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Amanda Gist Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Amanda Gist Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Cotter High School

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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.