Summary:
Zip code 72116 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, is home to six schools within the North Little Rock School District, serving elementary (K-5) and middle school (6-8) students, with all students eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating high economic need.
The standout performers are Crestwood Elementary School and Lakewood Elementary School, which consistently rank in the top 20% of Arkansas elementary schools, earning 4- and 5-star ratings. For example, in Mathematics, Crestwood (57.7% proficient) and Lakewood (60.6% proficient) far exceed the state average (44.1%) and the district average (28.8%). In contrast, Indian Hills Elementary School performs near the state average, while Ridge Road Elementary School lags behind. The middle schools, North Little Rock Middle School (7th/8th grade) and North Little Rock Middle School 6th Grade Campus, are the lowest-performing, with the 7th/8th grade campus scoring just 16.7% proficient in Math and earning a 0-star rating.
A critical finding is the dramatic drop in performance from elementary to middle school, suggesting a systemic failure at the middle school level. Interestingly, spending per student ($12,666 to $14,255) and class sizes (12.5:1 to 18.4:1) do not predict success; the highest-performing schools have the largest class sizes and lowest spending, while the lowest-performing middle schools have the smallest classes and highest spending. This indicates that instructional quality and school culture, not just resources, drive outcomes, creating two distinct educational experiences within the same zip code.
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