Bobby G Lester Elementary School

Summary:

Bobby G Lester Elementary School is a public elementary school in Jacksonville, AR, serving 587 students in grades KG-5 and part of the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, which is ranked 226 out of 252 school districts in Arkansas and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, Bobby G Lester Elementary School consistently underperforms the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. In 2023-2024, only 19% of students were proficient or better in ATLAS/Mathematics, compared to 36.4% statewide and 11.4% for the district. The school has a low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom 20% of Arkansas elementary schools for the past 4 years, and an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.8% to 100% over the past 3 years.

When comparing Bobby G Lester Elementary School to other schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, it consistently underperforms. For example, Bayou Meto Elementary School, which is only 4.91 miles away, outperforms Bobby G Lester Elementary School in all subject areas and grade levels. Despite being a low-performing school, Bobby G Lester Elementary School has not shown significant improvement in its test scores or statewide ranking over the past 4 years, and the increasing student-teacher ratio suggests staffing challenges that may impact the school's ability to provide personalized attention and support to its students.

Detail:

Public K-5

601 Harris Rd
Jacksonville, AR 72076

(501) 982-7456

District: Jacksonville North Pulaski School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
390^th of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,198

Students who attend Bobby G Lester Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jacksonville Middle School
High:	Jacksonville High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 500

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.4%

White:

33.6%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bobby G Lester Elementary School ranks worse than 78.5% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.44. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Bobby G Lester Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. Racial makeup is: African American (48.4%), White (33.6%), Hispanic (9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bobby G Lester Elementary School is 12.9, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District! (See more...)

Compare Bobby G Lester Elementary School employs 38.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bobby G Lester Elementary School is $11,198, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bobby G Lester Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Jacksonville North Pulaski School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Jacksonville North Pulaski School District 226^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Bobby G Lester Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2021	38.55	329^th	496	33.7%
2022	30.72	360^th	487	26.1%
2023	21.77	400^th	492	18.7%
2024	25.44	390^th	497	21.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, May 13, 2020

This school is absolutely terrible! Yes, the school is new and nice. However, they are a breeding ground for sexual harassment and assault. They say they are following there punishment book. This is suspect at best. My daughter has both of these happen to well more than a couple of times. Each time Mr. Beck has handled it with care and respect. His hands are tied and there is nothing more that he can do. Well, the fact that this is not a zero-tolerance policy shows me everything a parent needs to know about a school. Now, the state ranks in the bottom 5 states in the country. Their quality of education is lacking and you are better off homeschooling or sending them to private school. SAVE your child from the suffering of this school district and either go somewhere else or choose one of the other two options I have mentioned. Goof Luck parents! DONT GO HERE!!!!!!!!!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bobby G Lester Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	181	237	7	41	1	1	33	501
2020	213	266	10	36	0	0	42	567
2021	194	246	13	22	1	2	14	492
2022	219	242	12	34	3	0	10	520
2023	219	280	9	45	3	1	30	587
2024	168	242	4	45	3	2	36	500

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 Bobby G Lester Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	501	30.1	16.6	100
2020	567	35.8	15.8	100
2021	492	38.6	12.7	99.8
2022	520	34.4	15.0	100
2023	587	36.5	16.0	99.8
2024	500	38.6	12.9	100

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 Bobby G Lester Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	501	30.1	16.6	100
2020	567	35.8	15.8	100
2021	492	38.6	12.7	99.8
2022	520	34.4	15.0	100
2023	587	36.5	16.0	99.8
2024	500	38.6	12.9	100

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 Bobby G Lester Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,222 (19.8%)	$8,977 (80.2%)	$11,198

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bobby G Lester 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	501	587	17.2%
African American	237	280	18.1%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	7	9	28.6%
Hispanic	41	45	9.8%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	181	219	21%
Two or More Races	33	30	9.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	99.8%	0.2%

Schools Near Bobby G Lester 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 All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bobby G Lester Elementary School	Public	K-5	601 Harris Rd	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 982-7456	500	39	12.9	100.0%	168 (33.6%)	242 (48.4%)	45 (9.0%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	36 (7.2%)	25.4	390^th of 497 public elementary schools	21.5%		21.8	400^th of 492 public elementary schools	18.7%	10	26.1	25.6	29.0	26.8	27.2	25.6	32.9	28.5	21.6	19.2	15.8	19.0	20.4	20.5	14.4	18.6	$11,198	$2,222	$8,977
Jacksonville Lighthouse Elementary	Public, Charter	K-4	251 N First St	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 985-1200	181	15	12.3	81.2%	21 (11.6%)	129 (71.3%)	19 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.6%)	30.5	374^th of 497 public elementary schools	24.7%		11.9	446^th of 492 public elementary schools	9.3%	72	28.3	16.0		24.0	26.1	16.0		22.6	23.9	24.0		23.9	41.3	16.0		32.4	$9,538	$1,274	$8,264
Adkins Preschool Center	Public	PK	500 Cloverdale Rd	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 982-3117	217	12	18.0	98.6%	49 (22.6%)	143 (65.9%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.8%)								(n/a)
Jacksonville Elementary School	Public	K-5	2400 Linda Lane	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 982-9541	764	45	16.9	100.0%	164 (21.5%)	418 (54.7%)	86 (11.3%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	89 (11.6%)	8	478^th of 497 public elementary schools	3.8%		9	460^th of 492 public elementary schools	6.5%	18	12.4	13.0	14.2	13.2	14.0	14.8	14.8	14.6	3.1	13.9	10.3	9.0	10.2	9.6	10.4	10.1
Cato Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9906 Cato Rd	North Little Rock	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1160	323	19	16.7	98.8%	152 (47.1%)	107 (33.1%)	39 (12.1%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.5%)	52.8	236^th of 497 public elementary schools	52.5%		50.4	271^st of 492 public elementary schools	44.9%	35	44.0	39.6	22.0	35.1	50.0	41.6	26.0	39.2	24.0	48.0	22.0	31.1	44.0	43.8	24.0	37.2	$12,273	$2,293	$9,980
Oakbrooke Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Thornhill	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1190	406	27	15.0	55.7%	152 (37.4%)	201 (49.5%)	16 (3.9%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.1%)	44.6	285^th of 497 public elementary schools	42.7%		43.1	316^th of 492 public elementary schools	35.8%	31	41.3	33.4	36.3	36.9	39.7	29.2	36.3	34.9	14.3	22.3	34.8	23.9	33.3	33.3	24.3	30.3	$11,969	$2,999	$8,970
Murrell Taylor Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Murrell Taylor Dr	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 985-1581	412	27	15.4	100.0%	83 (20.1%)	264 (64.1%)	39 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	15.8	438^th of 497 public elementary schools	11.9%		10.4	453^rd of 492 public elementary schools	7.9%	15	23.8	19.7	18.6	20.7	23.8	23.0	20.0	22.2	9.5	13.1	15.7	12.8	16.1	18.0	12.8	15.5	$10,279	$3,325	$6,953
William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	142 Hollywood Blvd	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1200	565	38	14.9	98.4%	84 (14.9%)	351 (62.1%)	81 (14.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.3%)	23.8	403^rd of 497 public elementary schools	18.9%		24.4	393^rd of 492 public elementary schools	20.1%	10	22.0	23.9	25.0	23.8	20.6	24.0	25.0	23.3	35.3	24.0	17.1	25.0	8.9	21.8	21.1	17.9	$12,167	$2,631	$9,536
Bayou Meto Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26405 Hwy 107	Jacksonville	72076	Pulaski County	Jacksonville North Pulaski School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 988-4131	464	27	17.1	100.0%	291 (62.7%)	96 (20.7%)	37 (8.0%)	8 (1.7%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.0%)	35	349^th of 497 public elementary schools	29.8%		28.6	376^th of 492 public elementary schools	23.6%	27	48.3	19.5	19.7	28.3	50.0	20.9	17.8	28.8	41.1	13.9	17.6	23.3	39.3	30.6	12.3	27.5	$9,630	$1,946	$7,684
Sylvan Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	402 Dee Jay Hudson Dr	Sherwood	72120	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 833-1140	483	28	17.0	50.1%	187 (38.7%)	221 (45.8%)	24 (5.0%)	14 (2.9%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.6%)	63.4	179^th of 497 public elementary schools	64.0%		72.1	135^th of 492 public elementary schools	72.6%	44	48.1	42.7	33.8	41.7	51.9	40.0	37.9	43.5	49.4	24.0	36.5	36.8	48.1	37.3	31.1	39.0	$11,544	$2,437	$9,107

Frequently Asked Questions about Bobby G Lester Elementary School

What district is Bobby G Lester Elementary School in?

Jacksonville North Pulaski School District

How many students attend Bobby G Lester Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 500 students attended Bobby G Lester Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Bobby G Lester Elementary School?

Students at Bobby G Lester Elementary School are 48% African American, 34% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Bobby G Lester Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bobby G Lester Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jacksonville Middle School
High : Jacksonville High School

Is Bobby G Lester Elementary School a good school?

Bobby G Lester Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.5% of Arkansas elementary schools.

Rate Bobby G Lester Elementary School!

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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.