Summary
Kirby Elementary School in Kirby, AR, is a small, rural school serving 216 students in grades PK through 6, and it is part of the Kirby School District. The school has shown steady improvement over the past several years, moving from a low point to consistently earning a 3-star rating, and it now performs slightly above the state average overall. A standout feature is its very low student-teacher ratio of 11.1:1, which is the lowest among nearby schools like Murfreesboro Elementary School (15.3:1) and Centerpoint Elementary School (15.8:1), suggesting students receive more personalized attention.
Academically, Kirby Elementary’s greatest strength is in Mathematics, where 51.3% of students are proficient—well above the state average of 44.1% and outperforming Murfreesboro Elementary (49.2%). Science is also a relative strength, especially in the early grades, with 3rd graders achieving a 62.1% proficiency rate, which is 16.7 points above the state average. However, performance in English Language Arts and Reading is more uneven, with 4th and 6th graders doing well while 3rd and 5th graders lag behind. The most critical area for improvement is a noticeable "5th grade slump," where students in that grade score significantly below the state average in every subject, including Math (32.1% vs. 45%) and Science (28.5% vs. 43.8%).
Compared to the high-performing Centerpoint Elementary (a 5-star school), Kirby is a solid, stable performer given its context, serving a population where nearly 78% of students are economically disadvantaged. The school spends $12,552 per student, which is moderate for the area—higher than Centerpoint ($9,036) but lower than Murfreesboro ($13,412). Overall, Kirby Elementary offers a supportive environment with strong math and early science instruction, and it has built a stable foundation for continued growth, with the 5th-grade slump representing the biggest opportunity for targeted improvement.
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