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Raymond F Orr Learning Academy

Public, Alternative Grades K-12
494th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 494 Arkansas Alternative Schools
Better than 0% of Arkansas alternative schools
Summary

Raymond F. Orr Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, with 309 students. The school is part of the Fort Smith School District, which is ranked 149 out of 250 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's higher-than-average spending per student at $10,963, Raymond F. Orr Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on standardized tests. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, and Science are all below the district and state levels. Over the past 10 years, the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated between 204 and 347 out of around 480-500 Arkansas elementary schools, with a 3-star rating in some years but mostly a 2-star rating, indicating below-average performance.

The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 70-77% in recent years, and its increasing student-teacher ratio, which has risen from 16.1 in 2021-2022 to 19.6 in 2023-2024, may be contributing factors to its lower academic performance. When compared to nearby schools like Cavanaugh Elementary, Elmer H. Cook Elementary, and John P. Woods Elementary, Raymond F. Orr Elementary consistently lags behind in test scores and statewide rankings, suggesting opportunities for targeted interventions and improvements to better support the students and their educational needs.

235
Students ?
17.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$16,992
Per pupil spending ?
70.6%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 3609 Phoenix Ave
       Fort Smith, AR  72903

(479) 646-3711

District: Fort Smith School District


Students who attend Raymond F Orr Learning Academy usually attend:

High:    Southside High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
52.8%
Two or more races:
19.6%
Hispanic:
13.6%
more
 See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

 Compare Raymond F Orr Learning Academy to nearby alternative schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2017 → <1st in 2026
Worth a look
!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)
!Ranking has slipped — down 58 percentile points since 2017
!Mathematics scores 42 pts below the Arkansas average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school39%
District avg39%
Arkansas avg41%
Elementary school
494th of 494
Arkansas public elementary schools ?
Bottom 1%▼ down 46 pts since 2016
From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 1% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
High school
301st of 301
Arkansas public high schools ?
Bottom 1%
See the entire ranking list of Arkansas High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
151st of 254Fort 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)
Elementary school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArkansas percentileRating
20261.0494 of 4940.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202557.5215 of 49556.6%★★★☆☆
202459.7208 of 49758.1%★★★☆☆
202338.9338 of 49231.3%★★☆☆☆
202238.4325 of 48733.3%★★☆☆☆
202144.1303 of 49638.9%★★☆☆☆
201935.7347 of 48828.9%★☆☆☆☆
201847.3271 of 48043.5%★★☆☆☆
201757.0204 of 48557.9%★★★☆☆
201649.7268 of 49445.7%★★☆☆☆
201534.1322 of 46630.9%★★☆☆☆
201447.0302 of 47135.9%★★☆☆☆
201365.5166 of 47665.1%★★★☆☆
201272.4112 of 46876.1%★★★★☆
201158.5232 of 47150.7%★★★☆☆
201050.9272 of 45740.5%★★☆☆☆
200959.7204 of 44554.2%★★★☆☆
200849.8266 of 43939.4%★★☆☆☆
200752.8240 of 44045.5%★★☆☆☆
200644.4266 of 40233.8%★★☆☆☆
200565.7142 of 41165.5%★★★☆☆
By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?
Reading100%+60 vs state
Mathematics2%-42 vs state
Science2%-42 vs state
English Language Arts0%-39 vs state

3.0
2 ratings · 1 written review
5★1
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1★1
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What people are saying
by a citizen
Thursday, November 17, 2011

Open Quote What kind of school is this that does not allow the children to talk? My five year old granddaughter was sent home a paper for her parents to sign for talking in class but they forgot to so, my granddaughter thought she was doing the right thing by "signing" it herself,well here comes the "social service" guy knocking on the door wanting to know what is going on thinking my granddaughter was trying to "hide" the evidence. My God, this is not a school people. These children are not allowed to talk in the classroom,or the bathroom and when they are walking down the hallway These children have to put their hands behind there back and face forward only,know looking side to side or looking behind them. Oh,and also at lunch time no talking is allowed in case a child gets choked.Now What idiot thought this one up? Thats when children will scream and holler to get that person heip.This place is not a school,its more like an eight hour prison.These children are told when they can talk ,pee and eat! School should be a fun place to learn.Not a prison camp. Close Quote




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Frequently Asked Questions about Raymond F Orr Learning Academy

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended Raymond F Orr Learning Academy.

Raymond F Orr Learning Academy ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Arkansas alternative schools.

Students at Raymond F Orr Learning Academy are 53% White, 20% Two or more races, 14% Hispanic, 8% African American, 5% Asian, 1% American Indian.

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Schools in Fort Smith, AR

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »
2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization ratesNewOct 19, 2026
2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026
2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026
2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 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.

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