Summary:
The two public schools in zip code 72020, serving the Bradford, Arkansas area, are both part of the Bradford School District, which is ranked 182nd out of 251 districts in the state. Bradford Elementary School (PK-6) enrolls 249 students, while Bradford High School (7-12) enrolls 185 students, and 100% of students at both schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating very high economic need.
Bradford High School stands out as the stronger performer, showing a positive trajectory in its state ranking by jumping to the 42nd percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026. It boasts a 93.3% graduation rate, above the state average of 90.1%, and an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 4.7:1, which likely contributes to its success. The high school also outperforms the state in Algebra proficiency (37.8% vs. 36.9%) and nearly matches it in Biology (40% vs. 42.7%). In contrast, Bradford Elementary School is more challenged, with a declining rank that recently improved to the 28th percentile (1 star). Its strongest subject is Science, where 40.2% of all students are proficient, and 55.5% of 3rd graders exceed the state average of 45.4%.
A critical issue is the "math cliff" between the two schools: elementary math proficiency is low at 22.9%, but high school math proficiency plummets to just 9.6%, with 8th-grade math at 0%. This suggests a systemic failure in foundational math instruction. Science is a consistent bright spot for the district, with both schools performing closer to the state average in this subject than in any other. The district's challenge is to apply the high school's successful strategies—such as its small class sizes and effective instruction—to the elementary level to prevent students from falling behind early.
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