Summary:
Zip code 72211 in Little Rock, Arkansas, is home to two elementary schools serving grades K-5: Lisa Academy West Elementary School and Terry Elementary School, both of which face significant academic challenges but operate under very different circumstances.
Terry Elementary School, part of the Little Rock School District, serves a student population with an extremely high poverty rate of 99.09% and receives the highest per-student funding in the area at $18,106. Despite this, it matches the state average in English Language Arts (39.6% proficient) and shows a strongly improving trajectory, with its state rank jumping from the 17th to the 25th percentile in one year. A standout bright spot is its 5th-grade class, which achieved 51.7% proficiency in ELA, far exceeding both district and state averages. In contrast, Lisa Academy West Elementary School, a charter school in the higher-ranked Lisa Academy district (ranked 71st out of 251 districts), has a lower poverty rate (73.39%) but spends significantly less per student ($10,447). Its performance is declining, with state rankings dropping from the 31st to the 25th percentile, and it underperforms its own district in all subjects, particularly Math (23.8% vs. 39.8% district proficiency).
Both schools rank in the bottom quartile of Arkansas elementary schools (25th percentile), but their paths diverge sharply. Terry Elementary is on a strong upward trend, with dramatic year-over-year test score improvements in ELA (from 25.3% to 39.6%) and Math (from 14.7% to 24.6%), suggesting its high spending is beginning to yield results. Meanwhile, Lisa Academy West Elementary is declining, making it a weak link in an otherwise strong charter network. For parents, this means Terry Elementary offers a rapidly improving environment with targeted resources, while Lisa Academy West Elementary provides a larger school setting but with a downward performance trend that warrants careful consideration.
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