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J. O. Kelly Middle School

Public Grades 6-7

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 327 Arkansas Middle Schools

Better than 15% of Arkansas middle schools

Summary

J. O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, AR, serves 663 students in grades 6 and 7 and is part of the Springdale School District, which has a 2-star rating. The school faces significant challenges, with over 94% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, making it the most economically disadvantaged middle school in its immediate area. This high concentration of poverty is a key factor in its consistently low academic performance, as the school has ranked in the bottom 15-20% of Arkansas middle schools for the past decade, currently holding a 1-star rating.

Academically, J. O. Kelly's test scores are roughly half the district average and well below the state average, with proficiency rates around 25% in math and science. This performance gap is stark when compared to nearby schools like Hellstern Middle School, also in the Springdale district, which posts math proficiency rates over 60%. Interestingly, the school spends more per student ($13,483) than top-performing schools like Hellstern ($12,076) and Kirksey Middle School in the Rogers School District ($10,202), indicating that funding alone isn't the issue. However, there is a glimmer of hope in 7th grade English Language Arts, where 31.1% of students are proficient, only slightly below the state average of 37.7%.

The data reveals a stark "Springdale Divide," where J. O. Kelly and Sonora Middle School (86% free/reduced lunch) are at the bottom of state rankings, while Hellstern (43% free/reduced lunch) is a top-10% school. This shows how student outcomes are heavily influenced by the socioeconomic makeup of a school's attendance zone. A compelling comparison is Helen Tyson Middle School, just 3.75 miles away, which also has a high poverty rate (83.58%) but performs significantly better in every subject, suggesting that effective strategies exist within the same district to improve outcomes at J. O. Kelly.

663

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,483

Per pupil spending ?

94.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1879 East Robinson Avenue
Springdale, AR 72765

(479) 750-8730

District: Springdale School District

Students who attend J. O. Kelly Middle School usually attend:

High:

Springdale High School

Feeder schools for J. O. Kelly Middle School:

Elementary:	Bayyari Elementary School
	George Elementary School
	Harp Elementary School
	Jones Elementary School
	More...
	Linda Childers Knapp Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

69.5%

Pacific Islander:

19.0%

White:

8.3%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare J. O. Kelly Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 40th percentile in 2016 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (25% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school25%

District avg39%

Arkansas avg42%

278^th of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the Springdale School District

137^th of 251Springdale 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
2026	19.0	278 of 327	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.2	269 of 324	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.6	297 of 335	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	281 of 330	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	292 of 318	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	18.9	288 of 330	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.4	265 of 319	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.7	186 of 318	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.9	170 of 315	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.4	186 of 312	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.6	125 of 275	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	58.9	121 of 280	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.2	135 of 278	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	51.8	154 of 265	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.9	139 of 264	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	45.5	167 of 254	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	29.7	193 of 240	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.6	191 of 225	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	46.5	123 of 206	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	45.8	127 of 208	38.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts27%-12 vs state

Reading26%-14 vs state

Mathematics25%-19 vs state

Science22%-22 vs state

4.0

4 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, March 21, 2022

tons of drugs found, cigs, and tons of fights broke out everyday, everyone was rude too haha. I also found several bugs in my food. And my milk was spoiled half of the time Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, March 16, 2017

I was a student at J.O. Kelly MS back in 1996. I am proud to say I was one of the first students to attend this school. Principal Ford is amazing, she has a passion for this school that runs deep. I look back fondly at my days at JO Kelly. I am a very proud JO Kelly Knight! If I still lived in Arkansas, I would want my children to attend such a wonderful school. Close Quote

by a teacher
Sunday, June 6, 2010

Arkansas Diamond School 2008-2009
National School to Watch 2008-2009 Close Quote

Schools Near J. O. Kelly Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)					ATLAS Algebra (2026)			ATLAS Geometry (2026)		ATLAS Science (2026)					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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 All Grades	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th 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 7th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 8th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
J. O. Kelly Middle School	Public	6-7	1879 East Robinson Avenue	Springdale	72765	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8730	663	50	13.3	94.1%	55 (8.3%)	11 (1.7%)	461 (69.5%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	126 (19.0%)	3 (0.5%)	19	278^th of 327 public middle schools	15.0%		20.2	269^th of 324 public middle schools	17.0%	9		23.7	31.1		27.4		24.7	27.8		26.2		26.4	23.8		25.2							20.0	24.5		22.2	$13,483	$1,342	$12,142
Sonora Middle School	Public	6-7	17051 East Highway 412	Springdale	72765	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8821	668	46	14.5	86.1%	146 (21.9%)	13 (1.9%)	321 (48.1%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	165 (24.7%)	11 (1.6%)	26.5	257^th of 327 public middle schools	21.4%		27.9	244^th of 324 public middle schools	24.7%	13		24.9	22.6		23.7		24.9	26.2		25.5		27.9	37.0		32.4							30.8	41.2		36.0	$14,804	$1,759	$13,045
Helen Tyson Middle School	Public	6-7	3304 South 40th Street	Springdale	72765	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 750-8720	676	51	13.3	83.6%	146 (21.6%)	14 (2.1%)	392 (58.0%)	11 (1.6%)	3 (0.4%)	91 (13.5%)	19 (2.8%)	41.2	206^th of 327 public middle schools	37.0%		34	227^th of 324 public middle schools	29.9%	21		29.3	39.2		34.1		28.4	36.9		32.6		27.8	50.2		38.8							32.0	42.2		37.1	$14,064	$1,253	$12,811
Lisa Academy Fayetteville Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	1166 Van Asche Drive	Fayetteville	72704	Washington County	Lisa Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(479) 717-6464	31	2	14.0	45.2%	16 (51.6%)	3 (9.7%)	7 (22.6%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (12.9%)	85	28^th of 327 public middle schools	91.4%					(n/a)		55.8	44.5		52.5		60.5	50.0		57.3		72.1	50.0		65.6							51.2	61.1		54.1
McNair Middle School	Public	5-6	3030 East Mission Blvd	Fayetteville	72703	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 527-3660	670	36	18.7	21.5%	531 (79.3%)	26 (3.9%)	45 (6.7%)	21 (3.1%)	3 (0.4%)	7 (1.0%)	37 (5.5%)								(n/a)	66.0	66.6			66.4	63.3	67.3			65.3	66.7	72.9			69.9						70.7	68.5			69.7	$11,651	$529	$11,122
Woodland Junior High School	Public	7-8	1 E Poplar	Fayetteville	72703	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 444-3067	765	52	14.6	29.8%	566 (74.0%)	54 (7.1%)	69 (9.0%)	19 (2.5%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.2%)	45 (5.9%)	94.2	10^th of 327 public middle schools	96.9%		93.7	11^th of 324 public middle schools	96.6%	1			62.7	58.1	60.4			62.0	57.3	59.6			68.2	49.0	61.5		96.7	96.9					70.8	68.4	69.6	$14,340	$643	$13,697
Hellstern Middle School	Public	6-7	7771 Har Ber Avenue	Springdale	72765	Washington County	Springdale School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 750-8725	849	52	16.3	43.5%	499 (58.8%)	19 (2.2%)	222 (26.1%)	29 (3.4%)	2 (0.2%)	52 (6.1%)	26 (3.1%)	87.7	22^nd of 327 public middle schools	93.3%		89.2	17^th of 324 public middle schools	94.8%	5		55.8	54.9		55.4		52.1	53.1		52.6		56.5	64.3		60.5							64.2	64.0		64.1	$12,076	$720	$11,357
Holt Middle School	Public	5-6	2365 North Rupple Road	Fayetteville	72704	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 527-3670	463	27	17.3	51.6%	268 (57.9%)	42 (9.1%)	77 (16.6%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	46 (9.9%)								(n/a)	48.9	51.8			50.4	50.3	52.6			51.5	56.8	58.4			57.6						59.0	59.4			59.2	$14,440	$1,030	$13,410
Ramay Junior High School	Public	7-8	401 S Sang	Fayetteville	72701	Washington County	Fayetteville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 444-3064	761	57	13.3	52.3%	395 (51.9%)	118 (15.5%)	143 (18.8%)	13 (1.7%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.0%)	76 (10.0%)	61.9	114^th of 327 public middle schools	65.1%		62.6	102^nd of 324 public middle schools	68.5%	12			42.5	37.6	40.0			41.6	37.9	39.7			50.1	24.0	39.3	100.0	77.5	80.7	100.0	100.0			53.7	44.9	49.1	$13,836	$1,026	$12,810
Kirksey Middle School	Public	6-8	101 W Price Ln	Rogers	72758	Benton County	Rogers School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 631-3625	890	62	14.3	57.5%	309 (34.7%)	15 (1.7%)	492 (55.3%)	13 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (3.8%)	26 (2.9%)	72.9	73^rd of 327 public middle schools	77.7%		75.2	53^rd of 324 public middle schools	83.6%	20		46.7	53.7	42.5	47.7		45.1	50.2	38.8	44.8		46.2	58.8	49.4	51.7		98.1	98.1				44.5	56.3	48.2	49.7	$10,202	$263	$9,939

Frequently Asked Questions about J. O. Kelly Middle School

What is the racial makeup of J. O. Kelly Middle School?

Students at J. O. Kelly Middle School are 70% Hispanic, 19% Pacific Islander, 8% White, 2% African American.

Is J. O. Kelly Middle School a good school?

J. O. Kelly Middle School ranks in the bottom 15.0% of Arkansas middle schools.

What district is J. O. Kelly Middle School in?

Springdale School District

How many students attend J. O. Kelly Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 663 students attended J. O. Kelly Middle School.

What high school do graduates of J. O. Kelly Middle School attend?

Students who attend J. O. Kelly Middle School usually go on to attend Springdale High School

Rate J. O. Kelly Middle School!

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

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.