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Hot Springs Junior Academy

Public, Magnet, Charter Grades 7-9

246^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 324 Arkansas Middle Schools

Better than 24% of Arkansas middle schools

Summary

Hot Springs Junior Academy is a public magnet charter middle school serving 795 students in grades 7-9 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is part of the Hot Springs School District.

Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.3-13.5, Hot Springs Junior Academy consistently underperforms the state and district averages in proficiency rates across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 23.2% in English Language Arts, 22.6% in Mathematics, and 24.9% in Science, compared to the state averages of 34.7%, 38.7%, and 38.1%, respectively. The school has been ranked in the bottom quarter of Arkansas middle schools for the past 10 years, consistently ranking between 223-261 out of 275-335 schools. Additionally, Hot Springs Junior Academy has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.88% to 100% over the past 3 years.

Interestingly, Hot Springs Junior Academy significantly underperforms compared to nearby middle schools like Lakeside Middle School, Lakeside Junior High School, and Bismarck Middle School, which all have higher proficiency rates and rankings. Despite the higher per-student spending of $11,347 at Hot Springs Junior Academy, the school's academic outcomes are still well below state and district averages, indicating that simply spending more money may not be the sole solution to improving performance.

803

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,080

Per pupil spending ?

99.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

120 Chestnut
Hot Springs, AR 71901

(501) 624-5228

District: Hot Springs School District

Students who attend Hot Springs Junior Academy usually attend:

High:

Hot Springs World Class High School

Feeder schools for Hot Springs Junior Academy:

Elementary:	Langston Elementary Leadership Academy Magnet School
	Main Street Visual & Performing Arts Magnet School
	Park Magnet An Ib Pyp World Class School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

34.6%

White:

30.0%

Hispanic:

24.0%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare Hot Springs Junior Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 10th percentile in 2014 → 24th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2014

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (24% vs 36% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Algebra scores 23 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg25%

Arkansas avg36%

246^th of 324

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▲ up 5 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

188^th of 250Hot Springs 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	27.5	246 of 324	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	238 of 335	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	261 of 330	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	247 of 318	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.4	242 of 330	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	249 of 319	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	29.0	246 of 315	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.4	229 of 312	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.7	223 of 275	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	17.0	252 of 280	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.9	243 of 278	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.1	222 of 265	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.2	202 of 264	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.5	209 of 254	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.6	198 of 240	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	39.1	161 of 223	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	49.8	131 of 225	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	42.2	140 of 206	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	53.5	107 of 208	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2024-2025) ?

Biology76%+38 vs state

Reading26%-9 vs state

Science25%-13 vs state

English Language Arts23%-12 vs state

Mathematics23%-16 vs state

Algebra8%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hot Springs Junior Academy

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 Algebra (2025)			ATLAS Science (2025)					ATLAS Biology (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 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 9th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading 9th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 9th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 9th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hot Springs Junior Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter	7-9	120 Chestnut	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	Hot Springs School District	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 624-5228	803	56	14.4	99.9%	241 (30.0%)	278 (34.6%)	193 (24.0%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (10.6%)	27.5	246^th of 324 public middle schools	24.1%		32.1	238^th of 335 public middle schools	29.0%	8			23.5	22.1	24.2	23.2			27.2	23.7	27.9	26.2			24.3	20.5	22.6	22.7	4.2	8.3			27.9	21.7	24.9	75.9	75.9	$13,080	$2,561	$10,518
Lakeside Junior High School	Public	7-8	2839 Malvern Ave	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland)	No	No	No	No	(501) 770-1120	581	37	15.6	47.3%	409 (70.4%)	39 (6.7%)	68 (11.7%)	17 (2.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.9%)	82.2	37^th of 324 public middle schools	88.6%		83.7	33^rd of 335 public middle schools	90.1%	4			45.1	40.7		42.9			46.9	42.7		44.8			60.5	42.1	53.8	83.2		83.2			54.7	52.1	53.3			$9,518	$702	$8,816
Lakeside Middle School	Public	5-6	2923 Malvern Avenue	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	LAKESIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Garland)	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 262-6244	546	33	16.3	44.7%	390 (71.4%)	42 (7.7%)	58 (10.6%)	11 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	38 (7.0%)								(n/a)	44.4	42.7				43.5	46.0	44.1				45.0	54.4	70.6			63.0				37.2	46.6			42.2			$10,867	$675	$10,192
Fountain Lake Middle School	Public	5-8	4207 Park Avenue	Hot Springs	71901	Garland County	Fountain Lake School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 701-1700	389	35	10.9	54.8%	339 (87.1%)	5 (1.3%)	34 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Lake Hamilton Middle School	Public	6-7	120 Wolf St	Pearcy	71964	Garland County	Lake Hamilton School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 767-3355	633	38	16.4	66.5%	461 (72.8%)	34 (5.4%)	84 (13.3%)	7 (1.1%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.2%)	61.3	109^th of 324 public middle schools	66.4%		64.3	90^th of 335 public middle schools	73.1%	19		31.7	37.7			34.5		30.7	38.8			34.5		37.0	45.9		41.2					41.8	53.0		47.1			$11,402	$1,478	$9,924
Jessieville Middle School	Public	6-8	7900 N Highway 7	Jessieville	71949	Garland County	Jessieville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 984-5610	182	13	13.9	98.4%	159 (87.4%)	4 (2.2%)	10 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.9%)	58.7	123^rd of 324 public middle schools	62.0%		59	110^th of 335 public middle schools	67.2%	13		38.4	40.8	29.5		36.0		35.0	42.6	31.1		36.0		35.0	44.5	33.3	37.7	29.4		29.4		40.0	50.0	36.1	41.8			$14,158	$2,363	$11,795
Bismarck Middle School	Public	5-8	3315 Finch Rd	Bismarck	71929	Hot Spring County	Bismarck School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 865-4543	338	23	14.4	69.5%	303 (89.6%)	4 (1.2%)	19 (5.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.0%)	62.2	103^rd of 324 public middle schools	68.2%		62.5	95^th of 335 public middle schools	71.6%	8	40.5	28.0	26.2	49.5		37.3	42.8	29.2	23.1	51.5		38.2	41.7	40.2	40.0	51.3	43.3	95.7		95.7	52.3	36.6	38.5	53.6	46.1			$10,913	$955	$9,957
Wilson Intermediate School	Public	5-6	614 W Moline St	Malvern	72104	Hot Spring County	Malvern School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 332-6452	272	16	17.0	78.3%	127 (46.7%)	67 (24.6%)	33 (12.1%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (15.4%)								(n/a)	19.6	31.9				25.8	18.0	34.0				26.2	4.5	27.5			16.3				25.6	32.6			29.2			$13,693	$3,240	$10,453
Malvern Middle School	Public	7-8	339 E Donnelly	Malvern	72104	Hot Spring County	Malvern School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 332-7530	264	28	9.3	76.9%	108 (40.9%)	72 (27.3%)	38 (14.4%)	3 (1.1%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (14.8%)	40.2	210^th of 324 public middle schools	35.2%		29.5	254^th of 335 public middle schools	24.2%	44			25.2	27.5		26.3			29.1	35.7		32.4			24.4	19.6	22.3	85.2		85.2			30.7	35.2	32.9			$15,859	$2,552	$13,308

Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Springs Junior Academy

Is Hot Springs Junior Academy a good school?

Hot Springs Junior Academy ranks in the bottom 24.1% of Arkansas middle schools.

How many students attend Hot Springs Junior Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 803 students attended Hot Springs Junior Academy.

What high school do graduates of Hot Springs Junior Academy attend?

Students who attend Hot Springs Junior Academy usually go on to attend Hot Springs World Class High School

What is the racial makeup of Hot Springs Junior Academy?

Students at Hot Springs Junior Academy are 35% African American, 30% White, 24% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races.

What district is Hot Springs Junior Academy in?

Hot Springs School District

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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.