Hot Springs School District

The Hot Springs School District in Arkansas consists of 6 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district's academic performance is mixed, with one standout school, Park Magnet An Ib Pyp World Class School, consistently outperforming the district and state averages on standardized tests.

Park Magnet, an elementary school with a focus on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, stands out as the top-performing school in the district. In the 2023-2024 school year, 47.1% of Park Magnet students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 24.8% for the district and 33.8% for the state. Similarly, 43% of Park Magnet students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 23.7% for the district and 36.4% for the state. This exceptional performance has earned Park Magnet a top 26% statewide ranking and a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past three years.

In contrast, the other schools in the Hot Springs School District struggle with relatively low proficiency rates, often trailing the state averages by 10 percentage points or more. For example, at Hot Springs Junior Academy, only 23.6% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 18.5% were proficient or better in Mathematics. The district as a whole is ranked 183 out of 252 districts in Arkansas and is rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating it is a lower-performing district.