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Butterfield Trail Middle School

Q: Is Butterfield Trail Middle School a good school?

Butterfield Trail Middle School ranks 240 th of 327 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

240^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 327 Arkansas Middle Schools

Better than 27% of Arkansas middle schools

Summary

Butterfield Trail Middle School in Van Buren, AR, serves 557 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Van Buren School District, which ranks in the middle of the state. The school has faced significant challenges, earning a 1-star rating for the last four consecutive years and ranking in the bottom third of Arkansas middle schools. Over 80% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a rate much higher than its district peer, Northridge Middle School (51%), and the high-performing Greenwood Junior High School (31%). Despite spending slightly more per student ($11,730) than Northridge ($9,820) and Greenwood ($10,384), Butterfield Trail’s academic outcomes lag significantly behind these nearby schools.

One of the most striking findings is the school’s "Algebra anomaly." In the 2025-2026 school year, 46.1% of tested students were proficient in Algebra, outperforming the state average (36.9%). In prior years, proficiency was over 52%, nearly double the state average. However, this success contrasts sharply with a severe decline in 8th-grade math, where only 16.9% of students were proficient—less than half the state average (36.2%). This suggests that while a select group of students excels in advanced math, the majority of 8th graders struggle, creating a two-tiered math system within the school.

Butterfield Trail’s performance also reveals a stark disparity within the same district. Northridge Middle School, just 2.67 miles away, ranks in the 74th-86th percentile (4 stars) and outperforms Butterfield Trail by 15-20 percentage points in every core subject. The largest gap is in 7th-grade Science, where Northridge is 23.5 points higher. While Butterfield Trail has shown slight upward trends in English Language Arts and Reading over the past three years, progress is slow, and the school has not returned to the proficiency levels it saw in 2021-2022. This data points to school-level factors—such as leadership and teacher quality—as key drivers of the performance gap, rather than district policies alone.

557

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,730

Per pupil spending ?

80.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

310 North 11 St
Van Buren, AR 72956

(479) 474-6838

District: Van Buren School District

Students who attend Butterfield Trail Middle School usually attend:

High:

Van Buren High School

Feeder schools for Butterfield Trail Middle School:

Elementary:	James R. Tate Elementary School
	King Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.5%

Hispanic:

31.2%

Two or more races:

7.9%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare Butterfield Trail Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 31st percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arkansas average (31% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Arkansas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school31%

District avg41%

Arkansas avg41%

240^th of 327

Arkansas public middle schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Van Buren School District

123^rd of 251Van Buren 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	31.5	240 of 327	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.3	236 of 324	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.8	259 of 335	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	242 of 330	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.0	208 of 318	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.8	221 of 330	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.9	215 of 319	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	207 of 318	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.0	211 of 315	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.0	216 of 312	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.8	197 of 275	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	39.8	195 of 280	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.9	185 of 278	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	46.6	170 of 265	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	49.3	163 of 264	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.4	148 of 254	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.8	147 of 240	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.0	114 of 223	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.3	117 of 225	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	51.4	108 of 206	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	64.4	78 of 208	62.5%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Algebra46%+9 vs state

Science34%-10 vs state

Mathematics30%-14 vs state

Reading30%-10 vs state

English Language Arts29%-10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Butterfield Trail 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 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 8th 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Butterfield Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	310 North 11 St	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-6838	557	40	14.0	80.6%	309 (55.5%)	16 (2.9%)	174 (31.2%)	12 (2.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.9%)	31.5	240^th of 327 public middle schools	26.6%		31.3	236^th of 324 public middle schools	27.2%	4		35.1	26.5	26.9	29.3		35.1	26.9	29.1	30.2		44.0	27.6	16.9	30.4	45.1	46.1		41.7	29.0	32.4	34.1	$11,730	$858	$10,872
Northridge Middle School	Public	6-8	120 Northridge Drive	Van Buren	72956	Crawford County	Van Buren School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 471-3126	713	44	16.0	51.3%	501 (70.3%)	13 (1.8%)	115 (16.1%)	18 (2.5%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (8.1%)	70.1	84^th of 327 public middle schools	74.3%		78.3	44^th of 324 public middle schools	86.4%	40		45.3	49.2	46.1	46.8		45.3	49.6	44.3	46.4		58.4	51.1	29.0	49.6	79.2	80.2		42.7	52.5	42.8	46.0	$9,820	$811	$9,008
Dora Kimmons Middle School	Public	6-8	2201 N 50th St	Fort Smith	72904	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 785-2451	753	52	14.5	93.5%	88 (11.7%)	112 (14.9%)	466 (61.9%)	40 (5.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (5.7%)	22.4	269^th of 327 public middle schools	17.7%		20.4	268^th of 324 public middle schools	17.3%	1		23.5	23.1	26.3	24.3		24.7	24.6	29.7	26.3		21.9	35.0	26.0	27.4	70.8	70.8		21.9	29.5	28.8	26.6	$13,279	$1,751	$11,529
William O. Darby Middle School	Public	6-8	616 N 14th St	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-4159	711	57	12.4	82.8%	212 (29.8%)	63 (8.9%)	353 (49.6%)	9 (1.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (9.7%)	38.8	213^th of 327 public middle schools	34.9%		38.3	217^th of 324 public middle schools	33.0%	4		35.2	33.2	33.3	33.9		37.5	35.4	34.8	35.9		37.6	35.7	17.5	31.9	68.8	68.8		31.7	29.4	37.0	32.7	$14,326	$1,352	$12,974
L. A. Chaffin Middle School	Public	6-8	3025 Massard Rd	Fort Smith	72903	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 452-2226	753	54	13.9	55.4%	415 (55.1%)	40 (5.3%)	126 (16.7%)	54 (7.2%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	112 (14.9%)	82.6	33^rd of 327 public middle schools	89.9%		84.3	32^nd of 324 public middle schools	90.1%	1		47.9	55.3	50.7	51.3		48.1	56.0	49.8	51.3		54.2	66.8	46.6	57.5	92.1	92.1		46.8	64.2	58.7	56.6	$14,020	$1,421	$12,599
Ramsey Middle School	Public	6-8	3201 Jenny Lind Rd	Fort Smith	72901	Sebastian County	Fort Smith School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 783-5115	801	57	13.9	68.0%	396 (49.4%)	81 (10.1%)	151 (18.9%)	40 (5.0%)	10 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	122 (15.2%)	43.2	199^th of 327 public middle schools	39.1%		52.9	148^th of 324 public middle schools	54.3%	51		36.1	25.4	37.0	32.6		38.8	28.5	39.6	35.5		39.7	31.4	36.4	35.7	72.2	72.2		38.4	35.7	43.5	39.1	$17,549	$1,158	$16,391
Alma Middle School	Public	6-8	706 Hwy. 64 East	Alma	72921	Crawford County	Alma School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 632-2168	722	63	11.5	48.1%	595 (82.4%)	11 (1.5%)	38 (5.3%)	3 (0.4%)	17 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.0%)	73.2	71^st of 327 public middle schools	78.3%		74.1	59^th of 324 public middle schools	81.8%	12		44.8	37.8	48.9	44.0		45.1	40.5	52.4	46.1		46.4	58.4	57.2	53.3	91.0	91.0		49.0	50.0	60.5	53.1	$11,022	$1,294	$9,727
Cedarville Middle School	Public	5-8	9614 Pirates Point	Cedarville	72932	Crawford County	Cedarville School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 474-5847	207	18	11.2	98.6%	162 (78.3%)	3 (1.4%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (13.0%)	48.9	178^th of 327 public middle schools	45.6%		50.3	157^th of 324 public middle schools	51.5%	21	37.5	30.4	48.0	20.4	34.2	45.4	33.9	44.0	24.5	37.4	51.6	46.4	46.0	37.2	46.0			45.3	43.7	58.0	26.6	43.6	$13,652	$1,947	$11,704
Lavaca Middle School	Public	5-8	603 S Division St	Lavaca	72941	Sebastian County	Lavaca School District	No	No	No	Yes	(479) 377-1234	234	19	12.5	53.8%	195 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.6%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.5%)	74	65^th of 327 public middle schools	80.1%		54.1	141^st of 324 public middle schools	56.5%	76	51.9	47.7	54.7	42.0	49.1	48.2	50.8	58.5	40.0	49.5	46.3	41.5	58.5	40.6	47.0	77.8	77.8	53.7	47.7	62.3	50.0	53.1	$11,048	$701	$10,346
Greenwood Junior High School	Public	7-8	300 East Gary Street	Greenwood	72936	Sebastian County	Greenwood School District	No	No	No	No	(479) 996-7440	605	41	14.7	30.9%	487 (80.5%)	5 (0.8%)	42 (6.9%)	9 (1.5%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	49 (8.1%)	93.8	11^th of 327 public middle schools	96.6%		91.1	15^th of 324 public middle schools	95.4%	4			57.7	59.5	58.6			56.1	57.0	56.5			68.9	66.7	68.0	95.8	95.8			63.2	68.1	65.6	$10,384	$467	$9,917

Frequently Asked Questions about Butterfield Trail Middle School

What district is Butterfield Trail Middle School in?

Van Buren School District

How many students attend Butterfield Trail Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 557 students attended Butterfield Trail Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Butterfield Trail Middle School attend?

Students who attend Butterfield Trail Middle School usually go on to attend Van Buren High School

What is the racial makeup of Butterfield Trail Middle School?

Students at Butterfield Trail Middle School are 55% White, 31% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

Is Butterfield Trail Middle School a good school?

Butterfield Trail Middle School ranks 240^th of 327 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Butterfield Trail Middle School!

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresNewJul 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.