Summary:
Zip code 72223 in Little Rock, AR, is home to two high schools serving grades 9-12: Joe T. Robinson High School and Hall High School - West Soi, which together enroll about 1,525 students across two different districts.
Joe T. Robinson High School, part of the Pulaski County Special School District, is the standout school in the area. It is larger (1,030 students) and shows strong academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (47.5%), Reading (47.1%), and Biology (48.6%) far exceeding those at Hall High School - West Soi, which belongs to the Little Rock School District. Robinson's state ranking has improved dramatically from the 35th percentile to the 61st percentile over three years, earning a 3-star rating. In contrast, Hall High has plummeted from the 47th percentile to the 6th percentile, now rated 0-stars. A key factor is socioeconomic status: only 28.8% of Robinson students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to 64.7% at Hall High. Notably, Hall High spends significantly more per student ($22,226 vs. $13,611) yet achieves much lower proficiency, highlighting a spending-performance paradox.
Interesting findings include a grade-level anomaly at Robinson, where 9th graders vastly outperform 10th graders in Biology (76.4% vs. 20.7%) and Geometry (50.8% vs. 11%), possibly due to advanced students testing early. Additionally, despite its low test scores, Hall High has a higher graduation rate (89.4%) than Robinson (83.2%), suggesting different standards or support systems. Overall, families in this zip code face a clear choice between a rapidly improving, higher-performing school and a struggling one with higher spending but lower outcomes.
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