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Sutton Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
428th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 495 Arkansas Elementary Schools
Better than 14% of Arkansas elementary schools
Summary

Sutton Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 416 students. However, this school has consistently underperformed compared to other schools in the Fort Smith School District.

Sutton Elementary School has struggled academically, ranking in the bottom half of Arkansas elementary schools over the past 9 years and receiving a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating very low performance compared to other schools in the state. Its test scores are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all subjects and grade levels, with only 22.1% of Sutton students proficient or better in English Language Arts in 2024-2025, compared to 32.4% for the district and 34.7% for the state. The school also has extremely high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, ranging from 87.74% to 91.49% over the past 3 years, indicating a very high-poverty student population.

When comparing Sutton Elementary to the nearby schools in the Fort Smith School District, such as Euper Lane Elementary, Bonneville Elementary, and Ballman Elementary, it is clear that Sutton is an underperforming school, with significantly higher academic performance at these other schools. Addressing the underlying issues at Sutton Elementary, such as the high poverty rates, low spending per student, and high student-teacher ratio, will be crucial for improving student outcomes at the school.

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%
more
 See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

 Compare Sutton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Rebounding — 9th percentile in 2022 → 14th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is rebounding — up to 14th (2025) from a 9th-percentile low (2022)
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Arkansas average (20% vs 36% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)
!Science scores 22 pts below the Arkansas average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school20%
District avg33%
Arkansas avg36%
428th of 495
Arkansas public elementary schools ?
Bottom 14%▼ down 8 pts since 2015
From bottom 21% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
17th of 18Elementary Schools in the Fort Smith School District
149th of 250Fort 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankArkansas percentileRating
202517.6428 of 49513.5%★☆☆☆☆
202413.7451 of 4979.3%☆☆☆☆☆
202311.8447 of 4929.1%☆☆☆☆☆
202210.8445 of 4878.6%☆☆☆☆☆
202116.9421 of 49615.1%★☆☆☆☆
201922.0405 of 48817.0%★☆☆☆☆
201831.1362 of 48024.6%★☆☆☆☆
201738.1327 of 48532.6%★★☆☆☆
201634.9365 of 49426.1%★☆☆☆☆
201527.8366 of 46621.5%★☆☆☆☆
201424.5402 of 47114.6%★☆☆☆☆
201320.7417 of 47612.4%★☆☆☆☆
201230.7382 of 46818.4%★☆☆☆☆
201143.5322 of 47131.6%★★☆☆☆
201030.2370 of 45719.0%★☆☆☆☆
200916.2396 of 44511.0%★☆☆☆☆
200825.8355 of 43919.1%★☆☆☆☆
200743.5286 of 44035.0%★★☆☆☆
200647.9253 of 40237.1%★★☆☆☆
200537.7301 of 41126.8%★☆☆☆☆
By subject vs Arkansas (2024-2025) ?
Reading23%-12 vs state
English Language Arts22%-13 vs state
Mathematics18%-20 vs state
Science16%-22 vs state

5.0
2 ratings · 2 written reviews
52
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What people are saying
by a teacher
Sunday, December 1, 2019

Open Quote 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

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





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Frequently Asked Questions about Sutton Elementary School

Sutton Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.5% of Arkansas elementary schools.

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

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

Middle : Dora Kimmons Middle School
High : Northside High School

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





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