Summary:
Zip code 72722 in Decatur, Arkansas, is home to a single elementary school, Decatur Northside Elementary, which serves grades PK through 4 with 278 students.
Decatur Northside Elementary is a school on a strong upward trajectory, showing remarkable improvement over the past two years. The school has climbed from the 15th percentile in the state (1 star) in 2023-2024 to the 43rd percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, a gain of 28 percentile points. This is particularly impressive given that 100% of its students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. Despite this challenge, the school's 4th-grade students significantly outperformed the state average in both Mathematics (56.2% proficient vs. 47% state) and Science (50% proficient vs. 44.4% state) in the most recent school year. Overall, the school's proficiency rates in Math (45.5%) and Science (45.6%) also edged above the state averages of 44.1% and 44.0%, respectively. The school is outperforming its own Decatur School District in every subject and grade level, making it a standout within the district.
Key metrics include a student-teacher ratio of 13.7:1 and per-student spending of $13,129, suggesting efficient use of resources. However, the school has a clear area for improvement: its 3rd-grade scores are below the state average in all subjects, and overall English Language Arts (34.5%) and Reading (34.4%) proficiency rates trail the state averages of 39.4% and 40.4%. This suggests that while the school has made excellent strides in Math and Science, particularly with its older students, continued focus on literacy and support for the 3rd-grade cohort will be key to further growth.
Thank you for your feedback!