Summary:
The city of Barling, Arkansas is home to a single elementary school, Barling Elementary School, which serves grades PK-5 and is part of the Fort Smith School District. While the school has some positive attributes, such as higher-than-district proficiency rates in certain subject areas, it also faces some challenges, including a declining statewide ranking and below-average overall performance compared to other schools in the state.
Barling Elementary School's student population is diverse, with 60.3% white, 19.7% Hispanic, 4.85% Asian, and 13.64% two or more races. However, the school serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with 75.45% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This high poverty level may contribute to the school's academic challenges, which include uneven performance on ACT Aspire assessments, with the school outperforming the district in some subject areas but lagging behind in others, particularly in Math and Science.
Compared to other elementary schools in the Fort Smith School District, Barling Elementary School has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17.4, suggesting larger class sizes. This, combined with the school's declining statewide ranking and below-average overall performance, indicates that Barling Elementary School may need to focus on improving its curriculum, teaching methods, and targeted interventions to address the academic needs of its diverse and economically disadvantaged student population.
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