Summary:
In zip code 71742, there is one elementary school, Fordyce Elementary Schools, serving grades PK through 6 with 338 students in the Fordyce, AR area.
Fordyce Elementary Schools is the only elementary school in this zip code and is part of the Fordyce School District, which holds a low state ranking (221 out of 251) and a 1-star rating. The school has a high per-student spending of $20,358, yet it consistently underperforms state averages in nearly every subject and grade level for the 2025-2026 school year. Overall proficiency rates are 27.4% in English Language Arts (state: 39.4%), 28.7% in Reading (state: 40.4%), 35.3% in Mathematics (state: 44.1%), and 30.8% in Science (state: 44%). A notable exception is 4th Grade Mathematics, where the school's proficiency rate of 51.3% exceeds the state average of 47%. The school serves a predominantly low-income community, with 78.11% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and has a student-teacher ratio of 14:1.
The most striking finding is the paradox of high spending ($20,358 per student) paired with low academic performance, suggesting financial resources alone are not translating into success. The 4th Grade Math anomaly, where students beat the state average, indicates a potential bright spot that could be replicated. However, a steep decline in 6th grade performance—with the lowest scores in ELA (20%), Reading (22.9%), and Math (22.8%)—highlights a critical transition year needing targeted intervention. Year-over-year trends show slight improvement across all subjects, but the school remains in the bottom 20% of the state, ranking 392 out of 491.
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