Middle Schools in Van Buren School District

The Van Buren School District in Arkansas is home to two middle schools: Northridge Middle School and Butterfield Trail Middle School. Based on the available data, Northridge Middle School stands out as the higher-performing school in the district, consistently outpacing the district and state averages across various academic subjects and grade levels.

Northridge Middle School is ranked 55th out of 335 Arkansas middle schools for the 2023-2024 school year, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. In contrast, Butterfield Trail Middle School is ranked 259th and has a 1-star rating. Northridge Middle School's students demonstrate stronger proficiency in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Algebra, and Science compared to the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 44.7% of Northridge Middle School students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 33.7% for the district and 33.8% for the state.

While the two schools have similar per-student spending levels, Butterfield Trail Middle School serves a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 73.25%, compared to 45.55% at Northridge Middle School. This suggests Butterfield Trail Middle School may face additional challenges in supporting its more economically disadvantaged student population. Additionally, Northridge Middle School has a higher student-teacher ratio of 17.2, compared to 14.3 at Butterfield Trail Middle School, which could be a contributing factor to its stronger academic performance.