Summary:
In zip code 71929, there is one elementary school, Bismarck Elementary School, serving grades PK through 4 in the Bismarck, Arkansas area.
Bismarck Elementary School is a standout for its strong academic performance in Science, where 50.7% of students were proficient in the 2025-2026 school year, outperforming the state average by 6.7 percentage points. The school also exceeds state averages in English Language Arts (47.2% vs. 39.4%) and Reading (45.8% vs. 40.4%), though it slightly trails in Mathematics (43.6% vs. 44.1%). Notably, the school achieves these results despite a high rate of economic disadvantage, with 66.49% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. However, its state ranking has declined over three years, from the 73rd percentile (4 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 61st percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, indicating that while scores are improving, other schools are improving faster.
A deeper look reveals a concerning dip in 4th-grade math proficiency, which drops to 40%—7 percentage points below the state average—compared to 3rd-grade math at 47.8% (above the state average). This suggests a potential curriculum or instructional challenge in 4th grade. The school is part of the Bismarck School District, which ranks 84th out of 251 districts in Arkansas (67th percentile, 3 stars). With a student-teacher ratio of 15.3:1 and spending of $10,576 per student, the school provides a supportive environment, but the declining relative performance and the math dip are key areas for parents to monitor.
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