Summary:
In zip code 72416, located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, there is a single elementary school, Westside Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 4 and is part of the Westside Consolidated School District (Craighead).
Westside Elementary School stands out for its consistent academic strengths and notable year-over-year growth. The school has shown a positive trend in its state ranking, moving from the 59th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 55th percentile in 2025-2026, with a peak at the 67th percentile in 2024-2025. Its strongest subjects are Mathematics and Science, where it outperforms the state average by over 5 percentage points. For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, 49.3% of students were proficient in both Math and Science, compared to state averages of 44.1% and 44.0%, respectively. However, the school is at or slightly below the state average in English Language Arts and Reading, suggesting a focus area for improvement. The school also demonstrated remarkable growth between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, with Math proficiency increasing by 5.6% and Science by 4.5%.
Despite serving a population where over 55% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, Westside Elementary School achieves competitive academic results, indicating effective support for its students. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 18:1 and per-student spending of $9,756, which appears to be used efficiently given the positive outcomes. A notable finding is the "3rd Grade Bump," where 3rd graders significantly outperform 4th graders in Math and Science, a trend worth investigating. Overall, Westside Elementary is a solid choice for families in the area, with clear strengths in STEM and a trajectory of improvement.
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