Summary:
In zip code 72103, there is one middle school, Mabelvale Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in the Mabelvale area, which is part of the Little Rock School District.
Mabelvale Middle School is a school facing significant challenges, ranking in the bottom 1% of all Arkansas middle schools for the past three years. With an enrollment of 477 students, the school has a very high poverty rate, with 99.37% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Despite spending a substantial $18,371 per student and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 13.1, academic proficiency rates are extremely low. For the 2025-2026 school year, only 10.3% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, 12.6% in Reading, 7.0% in Mathematics, and 13.1% in Science. These rates are dramatically lower than both the district and state averages, often by a factor of three to six times.
There are a few notable points for parents to consider. First, there is a slight upward trend in performance, with all subject scores improving from the previous year, particularly in Science (+5.9 points) and Reading (+4.9 points). Second, a small group of 8th graders taking Algebra showed a 42.9% proficiency rate, which is higher than the state average, suggesting that advanced students may find success in specialized courses. However, the overall picture is that the school's high level of funding and resources are not translating into strong academic outcomes, likely due to the profound socioeconomic challenges facing nearly all of its students.
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