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Sutton Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

417^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

Sutton Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Fort Smith, AR, serving 411 students as part of the Fort Smith School District, and it faces significant challenges related to high poverty rates and persistently low academic performance.

Academically, Sutton Elementary is one of the lowest-performing schools in its area, with proficiency rates in core subjects like ELA (26.8%) and Math (26.2%) that are roughly half the state averages. This places it well behind nearby schools such as Euper Lane Elementary School (50.4% ELA, 53.8% Math) and Bonneville Elementary School (47.3% ELA, 41.1% Math). A particularly striking pattern is a dramatic drop in performance between 4th and 5th grade. While Sutton's 4th graders perform relatively close to the district average, only about 18% of 5th graders are proficient in ELA and Math—a steep decline not seen at other local schools. This "4th grade peak, 5th grade cliff" suggests a possible issue at the 5th-grade level that warrants attention.

Economic disadvantage is a major factor, with over 91% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch—one of the highest rates among its peers. This is notably higher than at higher-performing schools like Euper Lane (61%) and Bonneville (74%). Despite spending more per student ($14,863) than any nearby school, including the much higher-performing Bonneville ($12,206), Sutton's academic outcomes remain among the lowest. While the school has shown a modest upward trend in state rankings over the past few years, moving from the 9th to the 15th percentile, it still sits in the bottom tier. This spending inefficiency, combined with the 5th-grade performance drop, highlights areas where targeted interventions could make a meaningful difference for students.

411

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,863

Per pupil spending ?

91.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5001 Kelley Hwy
Fort Smith, AR 72904

(479) 785-1778

District: Fort Smith School District

Students who attend Sutton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Dora Kimmons Middle School
High:	Northside High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

57.4%

White:

16.3%

African American:

9.7%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 9th percentile in 2022 → 15th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 15th (2026) from a 9th-percentile low (2022)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (26% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Science scores 19 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg39%

Arkansas avg42%

417^th of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 11 pts since 2016

From bottom 26% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th 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	20.4	417 of 491	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.6	428 of 495	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.7	451 of 497	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.8	447 of 492	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.8	445 of 487	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.9	421 of 496	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.0	405 of 488	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.1	362 of 480	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.1	327 of 485	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.9	365 of 494	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.8	366 of 466	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.5	402 of 471	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	20.7	417 of 476	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.7	382 of 468	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	43.5	322 of 471	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	30.2	370 of 457	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.2	396 of 445	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.8	355 of 439	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	43.5	286 of 440	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	47.9	253 of 402	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	37.7	301 of 411	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Reading27%-13 vs state

English Language Arts27%-13 vs state

Mathematics26%-18 vs state

Science25%-19 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Sunday, December 1, 2019

At this school, we work hard to provide engaging rigorous lessons daily of which will prepare our students for junior high and their life. Close Quote

by a teacher
Monday, August 13, 2018

Love the staff, students and parents. Great facilities, awesome Blue Cross funded playground and the coolest outdoor garden classroom in the region! Close Quote

Schools Near Sutton 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
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5001 Kelley Hwy	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-1778	411	27	15.0	91.5%	67 (16.3%)	40 (9.7%)	236 (57.4%)	28 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.7%)	20.4	417^th of 491 public elementary schools	15.1%		17.6	428^th of 495 public elementary schools	13.5%	11	27.7	35.2	17.9	26.8	31.9	33.3	17.8	27.4	21.3	37.1	19.6	26.2	29.8	31.5	16.0	25.4	$14,863	$2,223	$12,640
Spradling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4949 Spradling Ave	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-8048	307	17	18.3	94.5%	48 (15.6%)	31 (10.1%)	192 (62.5%)	13 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.5%)	19.4	422^nd of 491 public elementary schools	14.1%		26.1	383^rd of 495 public elementary schools	22.6%	39	25.0	29.2	29.2	27.8	25.0	27.1	27.1	26.5	18.2	23.4	29.7	23.9	25.0	29.2	29.8	28.1	$13,041	$1,606	$11,435
Sunnymede Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4201 N O St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-6327	510	27	18.7	91.4%	70 (13.7%)	35 (6.9%)	323 (63.3%)	21 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (11.8%)	34.9	343^rd of 491 public elementary schools	30.1%		25.3	388^th of 495 public elementary schools	21.6%	45	24.0	33.3	42.7	32.8	25.0	29.3	40.3	31.3	34.4	33.3	57.4	41.5	27.1	33.3	35.4	31.7	$11,773	$1,780	$9,993
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4111 Park Ave	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-4506	387	20	19.3	89.9%	79 (20.4%)	42 (10.9%)	210 (54.3%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (12.7%)	13.1	447^th of 491 public elementary schools	9.0%		21.3	404^th of 495 public elementary schools	18.4%	43	19.5	20.0	19.7	19.7	15.3	20.0	19.7	18.0	18.3	22.4	30.3	23.3	19.7	40.8	21.4	26.2	$13,603	$2,816	$10,787
Harry C. Morrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3415 Newlon Rd	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 782-7045	493	26	19.1	90.3%	81 (16.4%)	79 (16.0%)	278 (56.4%)	16 (3.2%)	8 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (6.1%)	31	369^th of 491 public elementary schools	24.8%		18.9	417^th of 495 public elementary schools	15.8%	48	36.6	33.8	20.5	29.8	38.0	33.8	21.7	30.6	36.6	54.9	25.3	38.2	40.9	33.9	20.5	31.1	$11,686	$1,899	$9,787
Howard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 N 8th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-7382	299	16	18.8	92.3%	50 (16.7%)	30 (10.0%)	189 (63.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	29.4	378^th of 491 public elementary schools	23.0%		33.7	348^th of 495 public elementary schools	29.7%	30	36.8	38.0	30.7	35.5	34.7	32.0	35.9	34.0	32.7	18.0	35.9	28.2	36.8	22.0	23.1	27.5	$14,338	$1,449	$12,890
Tilles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	815 N 16th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-5606	343	18	18.9	90.4%	92 (26.8%)	45 (13.1%)	175 (51.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.9%)	10	462^nd of 491 public elementary schools	5.9%		12	456^th of 495 public elementary schools	7.9%	6	18.7	21.5	13.0	17.7	25.0	23.2	16.7	21.5	10.4	19.6	22.2	17.7	27.1	16.0	20.4	20.9	$12,663	$1,720	$10,943
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Sutton Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Sutton Elementary School?

Students at Sutton Elementary School are 57% Hispanic, 16% White, 10% African American, 10% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Sutton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sutton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dora Kimmons Middle School
High : Northside High School

Is Sutton Elementary School a good school?

Sutton Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.1% of Arkansas elementary schools.

How many students attend Sutton Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 411 students attended Sutton Elementary School.

What district is Sutton Elementary School in?

Fort Smith School District

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 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.