Nashville Elementary School

Nashville Elementary School serves 375 students in grades 4 through 6 in Nashville, Arkansas, and is part of the Nashville School District, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 63rd percentile statewide.

One of the most striking findings is the school's exceptional performance in Mathematics, where 56.5% of students are proficient—well above the state average of 44.1%. This strength is consistent across all three grades and has been sustained for several years, matching the strong math scores at the nearby Nashville Junior High School (57.7% proficient). However, the school faces a clear challenge in Reading and English Language Arts, where only 34.4% and 36.9% of students are proficient, respectively—both below state averages. This literacy gap is especially pronounced in 5th grade, where just 28% of students are proficient in Reading, suggesting a "5th grade slump" that the school may need to address. In Science, performance is a mixed bag: 4th graders excel (55.8% proficient), but proficiency drops to 38% by 6th grade, though the overall trend has improved significantly in recent years.

Despite serving a student population where 99.2% qualify for free or reduced lunch—an exceptionally high rate of economic disadvantage—the school achieves above-average results in Math and Science. This is a notable accomplishment that sets it apart from many schools with similar demographics. The school maintains a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13:1, though its spending per student ($10,471) is slightly below the state average. For parents, the key takeaway is that Nashville Elementary excels in math but needs focused support in literacy, particularly for 5th graders, to ensure students are well-prepared for the transition to Nashville Junior High School, where similar literacy challenges persist.