Summary:
In zip code 71822 (Ashdown, Arkansas), there is one elementary school, Ashdown Elementary School, serving grades K-5 with 621 students as part of the Ashdown School District, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks 157th out of 251 districts in the state.
Ashdown Elementary School is a school of contrasts, showing both significant challenges and notable strengths. The school serves a high-needs population, with 72.62% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and has a student-teacher ratio of 18.2:1 with per-student spending of $11,048. Overall, the school underperforms the state average in English Language Arts (34.7% vs. 39.4%), Reading (34.7% vs. 40.4%), and Mathematics (35.4% vs. 44.1%), but it nearly matches the state average in Science (41.7% vs. 44.0%). A standout finding is the exceptional performance of 5th grade, which exceeds state averages in ELA (43% vs. 40.9%), Reading (45.2% vs. 41.1%), and especially Science (56.4% vs. 43.8%), suggesting a highly effective teacher or curriculum at that grade level. In contrast, 4th grade is a crisis point, with proficiency rates dramatically below state averages, such as 24.4% in ELA compared to the state's 41.4%.
Encouragingly, the school showed strong year-over-year improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, with proficiency gains of 8.3 points in ELA, 4.2 points in Reading, 5.9 points in Math, and 11 points in Science. Despite this positive trajectory, the school remains below state averages in most subjects, and the high poverty rate raises questions about whether current funding and the 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio are sufficient to provide the additional support needed. For parents, this school offers a dedicated team with a clear focus on growth, particularly in Science, but also faces significant challenges in 4th grade that may require targeted intervention.
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