Summary:
Zip code 71826 in Bradley, Arkansas, is home to two schools—Bradley Elementary School (grades K-6) and Bradley High School (grades 7-12)—both part of the Emerson Taylor Bradley School District, which serves a combined 313 students in a high-poverty area where roughly 70-76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout school is Bradley High School, which excels particularly in mathematics. In the 2025-2026 school year, 51.2% of its students were proficient in math, well above the state average of 44.1%, and its 8th-grade math proficiency hit an impressive 70%—nearly double the state average of 36.2%. The high school also boasts a very low dropout rate of 0.6% and a solid state ranking in the top 35% of Arkansas high schools. In contrast, Bradley Elementary School is struggling significantly, with proficiency rates in math (28%), English (32%), and science (33.3%) all falling below state averages. The elementary school’s state ranking has been volatile and currently sits at a low 1-star rating, ranking 367 out of 491 schools.
A key takeaway is the stark performance gap between the two schools within the same district. The high school spends $1,845 more per student ($13,948 vs. $12,103) and has a much lower student-teacher ratio (6.7:1 vs. 9.7:1), which may contribute to its stronger outcomes. The elementary school, despite serving a population with a higher poverty rate, receives fewer resources per student—a concerning disparity. Additionally, both schools show volatile state rankings over recent years, with the high school dropping from a 5-star to a 3-star rating, suggesting challenges in maintaining consistent instructional quality across the district.
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