Summary:
The three public schools in zip code 72744, serving the Lincoln School District in Lincoln, Arkansas, educate 1,095 students from Pre-K through 12th grade in a community where economic disadvantage is prevalent, with 60% to 75% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
Lincoln Middle School stands out as the district's strongest performer, earning a 3-star rating and showing exceptional strength in STEM subjects—90.9% of 8th graders are proficient in Algebra compared to 73.9% statewide, and science scores outpace state averages at every grade level. In contrast, Lincoln High School is the weakest link, consistently ranking in the bottom quarter of Arkansas high schools with a 1-star rating despite having the highest per-student spending ($15,162) and the lowest student-teacher ratio (5.9:1) in the district. This creates a striking paradox where resources do not translate into results, as advanced subject performance drops dramatically between 9th and 10th grade—Biology proficiency falls from 58.8% to just 11.1%. Lincoln Elementary School shows an inconsistent but promising trajectory, jumping from the 24th percentile (1-star) to the 63rd percentile (3-star) in one year before settling at the 42nd percentile (2-star), suggesting a capacity for significant improvement.
Key metrics reveal notable disparities: the district spends $2,424 more per student at the High School and Elementary than at the Middle School, yet the Middle School delivers the best academic outcomes. The High School maintains a strong 92.8% graduation rate and a negligible 0.3% dropout rate, indicating that while students stay in school, they struggle academically. For parents, Lincoln Middle School offers a hidden gem for STEM education, while the Elementary school's volatility and the High School's resource-performance disconnect warrant careful consideration when evaluating the district's overall quality.
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