Summary:
In zip code 72209 (Little Rock, AR), four elementary schools serve students from kindergarten through 8th grade, all facing extreme economic challenges with over 95% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and three of the four schools rank in the bottom 3% of the state.
Wakefield Elementary School is the standout performer, earning a 1-star rating (11th percentile statewide) and achieving the highest overall proficiency in English Language Arts (21.5%) and Mathematics (30.6%) among the group. Its 4th and 5th-grade math scores actually exceed the Little Rock School District average, a remarkable feat given its 99.39% free/reduced lunch rate. Wakefield also has the highest per-student spending at $16,594. In contrast, Watson Elementary School is the most challenged, ranking in the 1st percentile for three consecutive years with the lowest reading proficiency (12.4%) and a 3rd-grade reading rate of just 8.6%. Exalt Academy Of Southwest Little Rock shows a mixed profile: while its overall state rank is low (2nd percentile), it achieves the highest science proficiency (18.4%) and a standout 42.8% proficiency rate in 8th-grade Algebra, the highest in the zip code. Dr. Marian G. Lacey K-8 Academy has the largest enrollment (1,252 students) but struggles with a 3rd percentile ranking and a sharp decline in 8th-grade math proficiency to just 2.6%.
A key takeaway is that higher spending does not guarantee success—Watson spends $14,881 per student but has the worst outcomes, while Exalt spends the least ($12,813) yet leads in science and advanced math. Across all schools, proficiency tends to drop as students advance from 3rd to 8th grade, though advanced Algebra courses show higher performance for select students. The overall picture is one of a community where extreme poverty creates significant barriers, but Wakefield Elementary proves that targeted investment and effective strategies can produce meaningful academic gains even in the most challenging circumstances.
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