Quitman Elementary School

Quitman Elementary School in Quitman, AR, serves 432 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Quitman School District, which ranks in the top 30% of districts statewide. This school has shown remarkable recent improvement, jumping from the 51st percentile to the 81st percentile in state rankings over just four years, placing it among the top 20% of elementary schools in Arkansas.

The school's standout strength is literacy: 56.6% of students are proficient in English Language Arts and 56.1% in Reading, well above the state averages of 39.4% and 40.4%. In 4th-grade ELA, Quitman's 61.8% proficiency even surpasses some nearby high-performing schools like Greenbrier Eastside Elementary (53.6%) and is competitive with Greenbrier Westside Elementary (56.9%). Science is another area of excellence, with 60.2% of students proficient—16.2 points above the state average—and strong performance across all grade levels. However, 3rd-grade math is a notable challenge, with only 33.3% proficient, which is 12.2 points below the state average. The school shows impressive recovery in later grades, with 4th and 5th graders performing above state averages, suggesting effective instruction in upper elementary math.

Compared to nearby schools, Quitman stands out for its rapid improvement and strong results despite moderate poverty levels (52.55% free/reduced lunch). The contrast with Guy-Perkins Elementary, just 7 miles away, is striking: Guy-Perkins has a 91.9% poverty rate and math proficiency of only 29.8%, while Quitman achieves 45.6% in math and 60.2% in science. The school's per-student spending of $12,252 is higher than the high-performing Greenbrier School District schools (average ~$10,400), and this investment, combined with a supportive community, appears to be driving the school's upward trajectory. For parents, Quitman Elementary offers a strong, improving academic environment with particular strengths in reading and science, though early math support may be an area to watch.