Summary:
Zip code 72205 in Little Rock, Arkansas, is home to two middle schools serving grades 6 through 8: Pulaski Heights Middle School and Lisa Academy West Middle School.
The most striking difference between these two schools is their efficiency. Lisa Academy West Middle School, a charter school in the Lisa Academy district, spends $5,811 less per student than Pulaski Heights Middle School in the Little Rock School District, yet it achieves higher overall test scores and a better state ranking (56th percentile vs. 37th percentile). Lisa Academy West also stands out for its focus on advanced coursework, offering high school-level exams in Geometry and Biology, where 8th graders achieve over 83% proficiency. In contrast, Pulaski Heights is a solid, improving school that performs well above its district averages, but it does not offer the same breadth of advanced options.
Both schools serve a significant population of students from low-income households, with free/reduced lunch rates of 58.97% at Pulaski Heights and 64.88% at Lisa Academy West. A key takeaway is the difference in their math programs: while both schools struggle with standard grade-level math proficiency (around 26-27%), Lisa Academy West’s top math students are pulled into advanced Algebra and Geometry, leaving a weaker cohort in standard math. This creates a dramatic drop-off in standard math scores from 6th to 8th grade. For parents, Lisa Academy West offers a more academically ambitious and efficient model, while Pulaski Heights provides a strong, improving option within the traditional public school system.
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