Summary:
Zip code 71646 in Hamburg, Arkansas, is served by two elementary schools within the Hamburg School District: Noble Elementary School (Pre-K through 2nd grade) and Allbritton Elementary School (3rd through 5th grade). Both schools serve a high-poverty population, with over 64% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and the district itself ranks in the bottom quarter of Arkansas school districts.
A standout finding is the stark contrast in academic performance between subjects at Allbritton Elementary. While the school’s overall state ranking has declined, its 4th-grade Mathematics proficiency rate (44.8%) nearly matched the state average (47.0%) in the 2025-2026 school year. This is a remarkable achievement given the school’s high poverty rate. However, this strength does not carry over to other subjects: Allbritton’s overall Math proficiency (36.8%) was significantly higher than its English Language Arts (27.6%) and Science (29.4%) scores, creating a clear "Math vs. Everything Else" gap. A particularly interesting "cohort effect" appears in the same year: 4th-grade Math proficiency jumped 21.7 points from the 3rd-grade score, suggesting a highly effective teacher or targeted intervention at that grade level.
Meanwhile, Noble Elementary spends a very high $15,956 per student—38% more than Allbritton—yet its state ranking has steadily declined. This raises a critical question about whether those funds are being directed effectively. A district-wide challenge in literacy is also evident: Allbritton’s 3rd-grade Reading proficiency (24.0%) was nearly 20 points below the state average (43.1%). For parents, this data suggests that while Allbritton Elementary shows a promising focus on math instruction, both schools face significant hurdles in building foundational reading skills, and the high spending at Noble Elementary has not yet translated into improved academic outcomes.
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