Summary:
The city of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas is home to two schools: Walnut Ridge Elementary School and Walnut Ridge High School, which are part of the Lawrence County School District. While both schools have a majority white student population, the high school outperforms the elementary school in terms of statewide ranking and several test score metrics.
Walnut Ridge High School ranks in the top third of Arkansas high schools, while the elementary school is in the middle of the pack for the state. The high school also has higher test scores in some subject areas compared to the state average, though both schools have room for improvement, particularly in Math and Reading. Interestingly, the high school spends more per student and has a more favorable student-teacher ratio than the elementary school, which may contribute to its better performance.
Despite the high school's stronger academic standing, the elementary school serves a higher percentage of students from low-income families, with 57.59% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 45.02% at the high school. This suggests that the Lawrence County School District may need to focus on addressing the needs of its most vulnerable students to ensure equitable educational opportunities across all grade levels.
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