Summary:
Zip code 72012 in Beebe, Arkansas, is home to two elementary-level schools within the Beebe School District, serving a combined 1,343 students from kindergarten through fourth grade in a community where nearly two-thirds of students are economically disadvantaged.
Beebe Elementary School (grades 2-4, 904 students) stands out for its exceptional mathematics performance, with 53.3% of students proficient—9.2 percentage points above the state average—while its English Language Arts and Reading scores lag slightly behind state averages. In contrast, Beebe Early Childhood (grades K-1, 439 students) distinguishes itself with a lower student-teacher ratio of 14.4:1 compared to Beebe Elementary's 18.4:1, providing younger students with more individualized attention during their foundational years. Both schools serve similar high-needs populations, with free/reduced lunch rates of 63.72% and 64.46% respectively, and per-student spending is slightly higher at the elementary school ($11,373 vs. $10,012).
A notable finding is the dramatic improvement in ELA proficiency between 3rd and 4th grade at Beebe Elementary: only 31.7% of 3rd graders are proficient (11.2 points below the state average), but by 4th grade, proficiency jumps to 45.3% (above the state average), suggesting effective interventions in later grades. However, the school's overall state ranking has declined from the 64th to the 54th percentile over three years, indicating that while math remains a strength, other schools across Arkansas are improving at a faster pace. For parents, this data suggests that Beebe Elementary excels in math instruction but may need to bolster early literacy support, while Beebe Early Childhood provides a strong, supportive start with its lower class sizes.
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