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Elmer H. Cook Elementary School

Q: Is Elmer H. Cook Elementary School a good school?

Elmer H. Cook Elementary School ranks 85 th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

85^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Elmer H. Cook Elementary School in Fort Smith, AR, serves 459 students in grades PK through 5 and has built a strong reputation for academic excellence, consistently earning a 4-star rating for nine consecutive years and never ranking below the 79th percentile in the state. This school significantly outperforms both the Fort Smith School District and Arkansas averages across all core subjects, with mathematics being a standout strength—60.2% of all students are proficient in math, which is 20 percentage points above the state average. The school's 5th-grade cohort is particularly impressive, achieving proficiency rates of 65.6% in English Language Arts and 63.4% in math, far exceeding district and state benchmarks.

Cook Elementary is notably efficient with its resources, spending a modest $11,805 per student while delivering top-tier results, a contrast to lower-performing nearby schools like Carnall Elementary and Raymond F. Orr Elementary, which spend significantly more per student but achieve lower academic outcomes. The only school in the district that consistently outperforms Cook is John P. Woods Elementary School, a 5-star school with even higher test scores, though Cook remains a top choice for families seeking strong academic foundations.

Interesting comparisons within a two-mile radius highlight how Cook stands out: Cavanaugh Elementary is a solid 4-star school with scores slightly below Cook's, while Beard Elementary struggles with lower proficiency rates. Cook's lower rate of economic disadvantage—57% free/reduced lunch compared to 78% at Beard—correlates with its higher performance. While there is a slight dip in 4th-grade scores across subjects, this is an area to watch, but overall, Cook Elementary offers a stable, high-quality education that prepares students well for middle school.

459

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,805

Per pupil spending ?

57.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3517 Brooken Hill Dr
Fort Smith, AR 72908

(479) 646-8880

District: Fort Smith School District

Students who attend Elmer H. Cook Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ramsey Middle School
High:	Southside High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.7%

Two or more races:

20.5%

Hispanic:

14.4%

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Compare Elmer H. Cook Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 87th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (56% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Arkansas elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Fort Smith School District

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg39%

Arkansas avg42%

85^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 17Elementary Schools in the Fort Smith School District

142^nd of 251Fort Smith 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	79.0	85 of 491	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	76.5	101 of 495	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	65 of 497	86.9%	★★★★☆
2023	78.4	87 of 492	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	83.2	65 of 487	86.7%	★★★★☆
2021	84.4	53 of 496	89.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.0	103 of 488	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	77 of 480	84.0%	★★★★☆
2017	76.4	90 of 485	81.4%	★★★★☆
2016	79.4	62 of 494	87.4%	★★★★☆
2015	76.4	85 of 466	81.8%	★★★★☆
2014	81.2	52 of 471	89.0%	★★★★☆
2013	70.3	130 of 476	72.7%	★★★★☆
2012	71.2	120 of 468	74.4%	★★★★☆
2011	70.5	127 of 471	73.0%	★★★★☆
2010	79.4	63 of 457	86.2%	★★★★☆
2009	81.4	53 of 445	88.1%	★★★★☆
2008	77.6	66 of 439	85.0%	★★★★☆
2007	82.7	45 of 440	89.8%	★★★★☆
2006	75.4	89 of 402	77.9%	★★★★☆
2005	88.0	20 of 411	95.1%	★★★★★

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics60%+16 vs state

English Language Arts56%+16 vs state

Reading54%+13 vs state

Science53%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Elmer H. Cook 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 All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Elmer H. Cook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3517 Brooken Hill Dr	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-8880	459	24	19.3	57.1%	242 (52.7%)	36 (7.8%)	66 (14.4%)	18 (3.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (20.5%)	79	85^th of 491 public elementary schools	82.7%		76.5	101^st of 495 public elementary schools	79.6%	16	52.3	47.6	65.6	55.5	50.0	48.7	61.3	53.6	66.2	50.0	63.4	60.2	55.8	50.0	53.7	53.3	$11,805	$1,594	$10,211
Beard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Cavanaugh Rd	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-0834	297	19	15.3	78.1%	136 (45.8%)	32 (10.8%)	54 (18.2%)	19 (6.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (17.8%)	51.1	252^nd of 491 public elementary schools	48.7%		32.4	359^th of 495 public elementary schools	27.5%	107	43.2	29.8	50.0	41.0	43.2	31.9	45.9	40.1	40.5	31.9	52.1	41.7	51.3	27.7	50.0	42.4	$14,170	$2,080	$12,089
Cavanaugh Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1025 School St	Fort Smith	72908	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-1131	303	18	16.6	71.9%	139 (45.9%)	38 (12.5%)	59 (19.5%)	16 (5.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (16.2%)	76.1	109^th of 491 public elementary schools	77.8%		80.9	79^th of 495 public elementary schools	84.0%	30	55.9	47.5	52.1	51.9	55.8	50.0	47.9	51.2	51.2	60.0	58.3	56.5	41.9	62.5	58.4	54.2	$14,156	$1,588	$12,568
Carnall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2524 South Tulsa St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-3612	172	9	18.8	91.3%	79 (45.9%)	22 (12.8%)	40 (23.3%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (16.3%)	43	294^th of 491 public elementary schools	40.1%		23.3	400^th of 495 public elementary schools	19.2%	106	28.5	60.0	33.3	39.7	38.0	65.0	33.3	44.1	19.0	75.0	18.5	35.3	28.6	55.0	25.9	35.3	$17,679	$2,202	$15,477
Raymond F. Orr Elementary School	Public	K-5	3609 Phoenix Ave	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 646-3711	235	14	17.0	70.6%	124 (52.8%)	18 (7.7%)	32 (13.6%)	12 (5.1%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (19.6%)								(n/a)																	$16,992	$4,555	$12,437
Fairview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2400 S Dallas St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-3214	582	32	17.9	80.6%	236 (40.5%)	43 (7.4%)	178 (30.6%)	10 (1.7%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	110 (18.9%)	41.7	300^th of 491 public elementary schools	38.9%		42.7	298^th of 495 public elementary schools	39.8%	2	38.1	36.2	48.0	41.0	38.1	29.7	44.0	37.4	32.1	37.3	44.0	38.2	35.7	30.9	32.0	32.7	$11,809	$1,299	$10,510
Bonneville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 South Waldron Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 478-3161	287	15	19.1	74.6%	114 (39.7%)	38 (13.2%)	65 (22.6%)	23 (8.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (15.0%)	58.9	204^th of 491 public elementary schools	58.5%		61	190^th of 495 public elementary schools	61.6%	14	55.3	40.0	48.1	47.3	53.1	36.4	44.4	44.2	40.4	40.0	44.4	41.1	53.2	41.8	55.5	48.9	$12,206	$1,033	$11,173
Ballman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 S Q St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-1280	286	15	18.7	67.1%	144 (50.3%)	20 (7.0%)	79 (27.6%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (13.3%)	51.6	249^th of 491 public elementary schools	49.3%		64.7	164^th of 495 public elementary schools	66.9%	85	32.7	39.6	40.0	37.6	36.7	34.5	44.0	38.2	53.1	43.1	48.0	47.8	40.8	50.9	42.0	44.8	$13,689	$1,511	$12,178
John P. Woods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3201 Massard Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-5808	514	27	19.3	50.0%	277 (53.9%)	29 (5.6%)	75 (14.6%)	56 (10.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (14.6%)	85.7	48^th of 491 public elementary schools	90.2%		89.4	42^nd of 495 public elementary schools	91.5%	6	56.1	55.4	67.9	59.7	51.7	51.8	57.1	53.5	63.8	66.2	79.8	69.8	55.0	57.8	66.7	59.7	$10,959	$1,247	$9,711
Euper Lane Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6601 Euper Ln	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-2601	397	24	16.2	61.5%	188 (47.4%)	26 (6.5%)	96 (24.2%)	16 (4.0%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	65 (16.4%)	66.3	162^nd of 491 public elementary schools	67.0%		57.4	217^th of 495 public elementary schools	56.2%	55	58.5	50.0	41.3	50.4	60.4	41.6	43.5	49.0	58.5	56.2	45.6	53.8	52.8	37.5	37.0	42.8	$14,761	$1,961	$12,800

Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer H. Cook Elementary School

Is Elmer H. Cook Elementary School a good school?

Elmer H. Cook Elementary School ranks 85^th of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Elmer H. Cook Elementary School?

Students at Elmer H. Cook Elementary School are 53% White, 20% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 8% African American, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Elmer H. Cook Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Elmer H. Cook Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ramsey Middle School
High : Southside High School

What district is Elmer H. Cook Elementary School in?

Fort Smith School District

How many students attend Elmer H. Cook Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 459 students attended Elmer H. Cook Elementary School.

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresNewJul 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.