Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Q: Is Walnut Ridge Elementary School a good school?

Walnut Ridge Elementary School ranks 348 th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Walnut Ridge Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades K-6 in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, which is part of the Lawrence County School District. The school has consistently underperformed the state average on standardized tests, ranking between 276 and 348 out of around 500 Arkansas elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 2-star rating.

Walnut Ridge Elementary faces several key challenges. Its students consistently score below the state average in English Language Arts and Math, with only 26.2% and 26.5% proficient or better, respectively, compared to state averages of 33.8% and 36.4%. The school also has a very high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.59% to 61.4% over the past 3 years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school's per-student spending of $9,125 in 2018-2019 was slightly below the state average, which may contribute to its academic underperformance.

Interestingly, the other elementary schools in the surrounding area, such as Math & Science Magnet School, Westside Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, Sloan-Hendrix Elementary, and Hoxie Elementary, also tend to underperform the state averages on standardized tests, suggesting that the academic challenges faced by Walnut Ridge Elementary may be reflective of broader issues in the region, which is characterized by high poverty levels.

Detail:

Public K-6

508 E Free St
Walnut Ridge, AR 72476

(870) 886-3482

District: Lawrence County School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
348^th of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,125

Students who attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Walnut Ridge High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 580

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.4%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Walnut Ridge Elementary School ranks worse than 70% of elementary schools in Arkansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.08. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (88.4%), Hispanic (6.4%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walnut Ridge Elementary School is 14.7. (See more...)

Compare Walnut Ridge Elementary School employs 39.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walnut Ridge Elementary School is $9,125.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Walnut Ridge Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Lawrence County School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Lawrence County School District 132^nd of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Walnut Ridge Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2009	70.89	124^th	445	72.1%
2010	50.33	278^th	457	39.2%
2011	49.49	282^nd	471	40.1%
2012	57.88	239^th	468	48.9%
2013	52.01	269^th	476	43.5%
2014	48.26	290^th	471	38.4%
2015	38.09	302^nd	466	35.2%
2016	39.70	340^th	494	31.2%
2017	39.31	322^nd	485	33.6%
2018	46.72	276^th	480	42.5%
2019	42.67	313^th	488	35.9%
2021	35.24	348^th	496	29.8%
2022	37.46	330^th	487	32.2%
2023	45.49	307^th	492	37.6%
2024	35.08	348^th	497	30.0%

See the entire list of Arkansas Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	463	3	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	468
2008	472	3	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	479
2009	462	1	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	466
2010	443	0	1	4	1	0	7	456
2011	471	0	1	7	0	0	6	485
2012	476	0	1	7	6	0	7	497
2013	477	1	2	7	3	0	10	500
2014	450	2	2	10	1	0	11	476
2015	508	1	2	13	1	0	17	542
2016	519	3	2	18	0	0	25	567
2017	502	1	1	19	2	0	32	557
2018	497	1	4	29	3	0	35	569
2019	474	1	2	27	4	0	31	539
2020	501	0	3	34	4	0	27	569
2021	480	0	4	23	6	1	19	533
2022	502	1	2	27	5	1	19	557
2023	513	1	5	37	1	1	22	580

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	468	40.0	11.7	67.3
2008	479	42.0	11.4	60.5
2009	466	37.0	12.6	57.5
2010	456	38.6	11.1	61
2011	485	38.8	12.4	64.5
2012	497	40.6	12.2	66.4
2013	500	40.4	12.3	61
2014	476	39.4	12.0	62
2015	542	44.0	12.3	65.3
2016	567	45.0	12.6	66
2017	557	43.3	12.8	27.6
2018	569	43.7	13.0	30.1
2019	539	38.6	13.9	60.3
2020	569	37.9	15.0	61.7
2021	533	36.6	14.5	59.5
2022	557	37.8	14.7	61.4
2023	580	39.2	14.7	57.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	468	40.0	11.7	67.3
2008	479	42.0	11.4	60.5
2009	466	37.0	12.6	57.5
2010	456	38.6	11.1	61
2011	485	38.8	12.4	64.5
2012	497	40.6	12.2	66.4
2013	500	40.4	12.3	61
2014	476	39.4	12.0	62
2015	542	44.0	12.3	65.3
2016	567	45.0	12.6	66
2017	557	43.3	12.8	27.6
2018	569	43.7	13.0	30.1
2019	539	38.6	13.9	60.3
2020	569	37.9	15.0	61.7
2021	533	36.6	14.5	59.5
2022	557	37.8	14.7	61.4
2023	580	39.2	14.7	57.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,586 (17.4%)	$7,539 (82.6%)	$9,125

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walnut Ridge Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 313^th of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 307^th of 492 Elementary schools	1.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	72.4	50	22.4%
3rd Grade English (Lawrence County School District)	72.4	50	22.4%
3rd Grade English (Arkansas)	72.4	62.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Math (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	60.6	34.8	25.8%
3rd Grade Math (Lawrence County School District)	60.6	34.8	25.8%
3rd Grade Math (Arkansas)	62.1	54.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Science (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	34.2	30.5	3.7%
3rd Grade Science (Lawrence County School District)	34.2	30.5	3.7%
3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)	39.4	35	4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	46	23.7	22.3%
3rd Grade Reading (Lawrence County School District)	46	23.7	22.3%
3rd Grade Reading (Arkansas)	38.3	32.2	6.1%
4th Grade English (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	62	53.4	8.6%
4th Grade English (Lawrence County School District)	62	53.4	8.6%
4th Grade English (Arkansas)	69.6	63.3	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	39.5	43.8	4.3%
4th Grade Math (Lawrence County School District)	39.5	43.8	4.3%
4th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.8	48.6	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	35.2	34.2	1%
4th Grade Science (Lawrence County School District)	35.2	34.2	1%
4th Grade Science (Arkansas)	42.3	38.5	3.8%
4th Grade Reading (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	31	34.2	3.2%
4th Grade Reading (Lawrence County School District)	31	34.2	3.2%
4th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	45.3	42	3.3%
5th Grade English (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	61.8	64.2	2.4%
5th Grade English (Lawrence County School District)	61.8	64.2	2.4%
5th Grade English (Arkansas)	73.3	70.2	3.1%
5th Grade Math (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	39.4	28.4	11%
5th Grade Math (Lawrence County School District)	39.4	28.4	11%
5th Grade Math (Arkansas)	49.2	40.7	8.5%
5th Grade Science (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	34.2	32.9	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Lawrence County School District)	34.2	32.9	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Arkansas)	40.7	34.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	39.5	37.3	2.2%
5th Grade Reading (Lawrence County School District)	39.5	37.3	2.2%
5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	41	36.8	4.2%
6th Grade English (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	80.3	76.4	3.9%
6th Grade English (Lawrence County School District)	80.3	76.4	3.9%
6th Grade English (Arkansas)	72.8	67.6	5.2%
6th Grade Math (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	52.4	51.3	1.1%
6th Grade Math (Lawrence County School District)	52.4	51.3	1.1%
6th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.7	47	6.7%
6th Grade Science (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	40.9	44.5	3.6%
6th Grade Science (Lawrence County School District)	40.9	44.5	3.6%
6th Grade Science (Arkansas)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
6th Grade Reading (Walnut Ridge Elementary School)	44.3	45.8	1.5%
6th Grade Reading (Lawrence County School District)	44.3	45.8	1.5%
6th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	43.1	39	4.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	539	580	7.6%
African American	1	1
American Indian	4	1	75%
Asian	2	5	150%
Hispanic	27	37	37%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	474	513	8.2%
Two or More Races	31	22	29%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.3%	57.6%	2.7%

Schools Near Walnut Ridge Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)					ATLAS Reading (2024)					ATLAS Mathematics (2024)					ATLAS Science (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Walnut Ridge Elementary School	Public	K-6	508 E Free St	Walnut Ridge	72476	Lawrence County	Lawrence County School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 886-3482	580	39	14.7	57.6%	513 (88.4%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.4%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.8%)	35.1	348^th of 497 public elementary schools	30.0%		45.5	307^th of 492 public elementary schools	37.6%	41	21.5	18.7	26.7	39.1	26.2	22.8	18.7	25.3	43.5	27.2	22.8	18.6	29.6	36.2	26.5	22.8	29.3	29.5	36.2	29.2	$9,125	$1,586	$7,539
Hoxie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	305 SW Alice St	Hoxie	72433	Lawrence County	Hoxie School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 886-4256	502	30	16.7	99.4%	474 (94.4%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.6%)	40.7	309^th of 497 public elementary schools	37.8%		46.9	298^th of 492 public elementary schools	39.4%	11	19.3	27.5	34.4	33.4	28.8	22.8	31.4	32.8	31.5	29.7	12.3	23.5	39.0	37.1	28.3	28.1	19.6	43.8	33.3	31.8	$10,108	$2,089	$8,019
Pocahontas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	1707 Highland	Pocahontas	72455	Randolph County	Pocahontas School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 892-4573	645	38	16.8	66.7%	508 (78.8%)	6 (0.9%)	31 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	70 (10.9%)	29 (4.5%)	43.8	292^nd of 497 public elementary schools	41.2%		47.8	292^nd of 492 public elementary schools	40.7%		33.1				33.1	30.7				30.7	39.4				39.4	26.7				26.7	$9,279	$2,878	$6,401
Imboden Area Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	605 W 3rd St	Imboden	72434	Lawrence County	Imboden Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(870) 869-3015	63	5	12.2	46.0%	57 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					16.7					22.2					11.1					13.9	$9,885	$1,483	$8,402
Sloan-Hendrix Elementary School	Public	K-6	1 Greyhound Cir	Imboden	72434	Lawrence County	Sloan-Hendrix School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 869-2101	440	29	15.2	68.9%	423 (96.1%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	51	251^st of 497 public elementary schools	49.5%		49.3	280^th of 492 public elementary schools	43.1%	29	21.0	46.0	35.6	39.3	35.3	19.3	40.0	32.2	36.1	31.8	42.1	52.0	39.0	37.7	42.3	22.8	36.0	30.5	27.9	29.1	$8,718	$1,573	$7,145
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1834 Hwy 91 W	Jonesboro	72404	Craighead County	Westside Cons. School Dist(Craigh	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 932-8023	759	42	18.0	55.6%	708 (93.3%)	16 (2.1%)	16 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.0%)	60.7	203^rd of 497 public elementary schools	59.2%		54.1	242^nd of 492 public elementary schools	50.8%	39	44.5	25.0			35.0	48.0	23.5			36.1	55.5	30.9			43.5	52.7	37.5			45.4	$8,680	$2,008	$6,673
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public	K-6	180 School St	Lynn	72440	Lawrence County	Hillcrest School District	No	No	No	Yes	(870) 528-3462	253	21	12.1	80.6%	249 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	67.7	152^nd of 497 public elementary schools	69.4%		78	89^th of 492 public elementary schools	81.9%	63	27.3	21.4	52.2	58.3	40.0	27.2	17.9	52.1	58.3	39.2	24.2	57.1	60.9	71.4	52.9	48.5	28.5	56.5	66.7	50.8	$12,263	$2,036	$10,227
Math & Science Magnet School	Public, Magnet	1-6	213 E Thomas Green Rd	Jonesboro	72401	Craighead County	Jonesboro School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(870) 933-5845	540	33	16.5	100.0%	107 (19.8%)	305 (56.5%)	94 (17.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.3%)	14.8	446^th of 497 public elementary schools	10.3%		16.6	423^rd of 492 public elementary schools	14.0%	23	18.1	6.3	20.1	18.2	15.6	19.2	7.6	22.6	19.5	17.2	22.9	20.1	17.6	18.2	19.7	14.4	17.6	17.6	14.3	16.0	$9,588	$2,598	$6,990

Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Ridge Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Walnut Ridge Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Walnut Ridge High School

What district is Walnut Ridge Elementary School in?

Lawrence County School District

How many students attend Walnut Ridge Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 580 students attended Walnut Ridge Elementary School.

Is Walnut Ridge Elementary School a good school?

Walnut Ridge Elementary School ranks 348^th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Walnut Ridge Elementary School?

Students at Walnut Ridge Elementary School are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.