Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

Q: Is Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School a good school?

Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School ranks 51 st of 335 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School is a public middle school serving 490 students in grades 5-7 in the Conway School District in Arkansas. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the state average in academic proficiency across all subject areas and has maintained a strong track record of excellence over the years.

Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with proficiency rates that exceed the state average in English Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. The school's English Language Arts proficiency rate of 44.9% is significantly higher than the state average of 33.8%. Additionally, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.3, which may contribute to its strong academic results. However, the school serves a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with 55.11% to 64.08% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch over the past three years, which is higher than nearby schools like Ruth Doyle Middle School (47.86%) and Carl Stuart Middle School (54.79%).

While Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School outperforms the state average, it is not the top-performing school in the immediate area. Both Vilonia Middle School and Ruth Doyle Middle School have higher statewide rankings and better academic proficiency rates in most subject areas. This suggests that the Conway School District as a whole is performing well, with multiple high-achieving middle schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 5-7

1601 Siebenmorgan Rd
Conway, AR 72032

(501) 513-6120

District: Conway School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
51^st of 335 Arkansas Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,523

Students who attend Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School usually attend:

High:

Conway High School

Feeder schools for Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School:

Elementary:	Julia Lee Moore Elementary School
	Theodore Jones Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 490

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.4%

African American:

31.2%

Hispanic:

10.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.1%

See top rated Arkansas middle schools

Compare Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School ranks better than 84.8% of middle schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked middle schools in the Conway School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.11. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School has the smallest middle school student body size in the Conway School District. Racial makeup is: White (49.4%), African American (31.2%), Hispanic (10.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School is 12.3, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Conway School District! (See more...)

Compare Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School employs 39.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School is $11,523, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Conway School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School 51^st of 335 Arkansas public middle schools. (See Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School in the ranking list.)

Conway School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Conway School District 42^nd of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AR State Percentile
2013	79.13	27^th	278	90.3%
2014	78.49	36^th	280	87.1%
2015	84.56	19^th	275	93.1%
2016	63.00	102^nd	312	67.3%
2017	71.59	66^th	315	79.0%
2018	83.19	36^th	318	88.7%
2019	76.25	56^th	319	82.4%
2021	64.84	108^th	330	67.3%
2022	57.64	139^th	318	56.3%
2023	66.37	96^th	330	70.9%
2024	77.11	51^st	335	84.8%

See the entire list of Arkansas Middle 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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2007	386	191	5	25	2	n/a	n/a	609
2008	436	225	9	26	1	n/a	n/a	697
2009	396	207	8	32	0	n/a	n/a	643
2010	385	196	10	32	1	0	0	624
2011	352	211	7	36	2	0	3	611
2012	368	230	5	42	3	1	4	653
2013	269	122	5	33	1	0	3	433
2014	262	116	3	35	0	1	8	425
2015	275	134	3	48	1	0	7	468
2016	263	148	3	48	0	0	6	468
2017	249	160	6	54	1	0	7	477
2018	240	156	3	48	0	0	13	460
2019	245	140	4	48	2	0	16	455
2020	251	148	7	40	3	0	20	469
2021	262	156	8	39	3	0	23	491
2022	241	153	6	53	2	0	24	479
2023	242	153	13	52	0	0	30	490

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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	609	43.0	14.2	51.4
2008	697	50.0	13.9	52.4
2009	643	48.0	13.4	54.7
2010	624	47.9	12.4	59
2011	611	45.2	13.5	63
2012	653	44.9	14.5	61.9
2013	433	33.8	12.8	50.6
2014	425	34.6	12.2	52
2015	468	36.0	13.0	55.8
2016	468	36.0	13.0	56.8
2017	477	35.5	13.4	26.6
2018	460	36.9	12.4	28.3
2019	455	35.7	12.7	57.8
2020	469	35.2	13.2	57.6
2021	491	34.6	14.1	59.3
2022	479	40.7	11.7	55.1
2023	490	39.6	12.3	64.1

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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	609	43.0	14.2	51.4
2008	697	50.0	13.9	52.4
2009	643	48.0	13.4	54.7
2010	624	47.9	12.4	59
2011	611	45.2	13.5	63
2012	653	44.9	14.5	61.9
2013	433	33.8	12.8	50.6
2014	425	34.6	12.2	52
2015	468	36.0	13.0	55.8
2016	468	36.0	13.0	56.8
2017	477	35.5	13.4	26.6
2018	460	36.9	12.4	28.3
2019	455	35.7	12.7	57.8
2020	469	35.2	13.2	57.6
2021	491	34.6	14.1	59.3
2022	479	40.7	11.7	55.1
2023	490	39.6	12.3	64.1

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 Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,559 (22.2%)	$8,964 (77.8%)	$11,523

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle 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 56^th of 319 Middle schools	Ranks 96^th of 330 Middle schools	11.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	74.5	77.8	3.3%
5th Grade English (Conway School District)	80.3	78	2.3%
5th Grade English (Arkansas)	73.3	70.2	3.1%
5th Grade Math (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	58.6	40.5	18.1%
5th Grade Math (Conway School District)	62.9	42.3	20.6%
5th Grade Math (Arkansas)	49.2	40.7	8.5%
5th Grade Science (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	42	41.7	0.3%
5th Grade Science (Conway School District)	51.3	46.3	5%
5th Grade Science (Arkansas)	40.7	34.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	49.7	43.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Conway School District)	53.4	45.6	7.8%
5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	41	36.8	4.2%
6th Grade English (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	83.3	72.5	10.8%
6th Grade English (Conway School District)	77.8	74.8	3%
6th Grade English (Arkansas)	72.8	67.6	5.2%
6th Grade Math (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	62.6	43.8	18.8%
6th Grade Math (Conway School District)	64.4	46.3	18.1%
6th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.7	47	6.7%
6th Grade Science (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	56.7	43.1	13.6%
6th Grade Science (Conway School District)	57.6	46.4	11.2%
6th Grade Science (Arkansas)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
6th Grade Reading (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	52	44.4	7.6%
6th Grade Reading (Conway School District)	49.8	44.4	5.4%
6th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	43.1	39	4.1%
7th Grade English (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	84.9	82.5	2.4%
7th Grade English (Conway School District)	84.6	82.5	2.1%
7th Grade English (Arkansas)	78.3	75.1	3.2%
7th Grade Math (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	54.5	44.2	10.3%
7th Grade Math (Conway School District)	61.9	44.3	17.6%
7th Grade Math (Arkansas)	47.7	39.6	8.1%
7th Grade Science (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	50.8	47.4	3.4%
7th Grade Science (Conway School District)	55.1	50.7	4.4%
7th Grade Science (Arkansas)	43	38.5	4.5%
7th Grade Reading (Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School)	48.5	35	13.5%
7th Grade Reading (Conway School District)	50.4	42.4	8%
7th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	39.2	34.2	5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	455	490	7.7%
African American	140	153	9.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	4	13	225%
Hispanic	48	52	8.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	245	242	1.2%
Two or More Races	16	30	87.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.8%	64.1%	6.3%

Schools Near Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle 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 Algebra (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 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 7th Grade	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School	Public	5-7	1601 Siebenmorgan Rd	Conway	72032	Faulkner County	Conway School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 513-6120	490	40	12.3	64.1%	242 (49.4%)	153 (31.2%)	52 (10.6%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.1%)	77.1	51^st of 335 public middle schools	84.8%		66.4	96^th of 330 public middle schools	70.9%	45		48.6	42.4	43.5		44.9		43.7	40.8	43.8		42.7		38.4	42.8	39.9		40.4					43.7	50.0	48.4		47.3	$11,523	$2,559	$8,964
Bob Courtway Middle School	Public	5-7	1200 Bob Courtway Dr	Conway	72032	Faulkner County	Conway School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 450-4832	498	37	13.3	72.1%	184 (36.9%)	150 (30.1%)	124 (24.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.4%)	45	186^th of 335 public middle schools	44.5%		58.3	145^th of 330 public middle schools	56.1%	41		32.4	31.3	32.5		32.1		33.3	31.1	30.7		31.7		27.4	25.2	27.7		26.8					30.3	26.5	36.4		31.5	$9,869	$1,076	$8,793
Carl Stuart Middle School	Public	5-7	2745 Carl Stuart Rd	Conway	72034	Faulkner County	Conway School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 329-2782	741	48	15.4	54.8%	364 (49.1%)	266 (35.9%)	60 (8.1%)	13 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.0%)	82	37^th of 335 public middle schools	89.0%		76.1	61^st of 330 public middle schools	81.5%	24		50.9	50.0	42.6		47.9		49.4	47.5	41.0		46.1		38.6	48.3	44.3		43.5					53.3	47.4	50.2		50.5	$8,750	$966	$7,783
Ruth Doyle Middle School	Public	5-7	800 Padgett Rd	Conway	72034	Faulkner County	Conway School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 450-6675	562	41	13.6	47.9%	335 (59.6%)	135 (24.0%)	48 (8.5%)	12 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.3%)	89.8	23^rd of 335 public middle schools	93.1%		81.3	42^nd of 330 public middle schools	87.3%	19		56.1	55.6	47.4		52.9		54.4	55.6	46.1		52.0		55.0	52.6	50.2		52.6					50.0	57.9	52.4		53.5	$9,464	$1,392	$8,072
Greenbrier Middle School	Public	6-7	13 School Dr	Greenbrier	72058	Faulkner County	Greenbrier School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 679-2113	599	37	16.0	38.2%	550 (91.8%)	7 (1.2%)	24 (4.0%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.2%)	90.5	19^th of 335 public middle schools	94.3%		90.4	14^th of 330 public middle schools	95.8%	5			50.0	54.0		52.1			47.1	51.0		49.1			48.2	63.3		56.0						51.5	59.4		55.6	$8,552	$1,638	$6,914
Frank Mitchell Intermediate School	Public	4-6	98 S Mt Olive Rd	Vilonia	72173	Faulkner County	Vilonia School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 796-4643	654	34	19.3	45.1%	593 (90.7%)	19 (2.9%)	35 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)								(n/a)	58.4	47.6	47.9			51.3	57.9	47.6	48.0			51.1	44.7	44.5	41.5			43.5				60.9	43.6	40.2			48.0	$7,859	$1,448	$6,412
Mayflower Middle School	Public	5-8	18 Eagle Cir	Mayflower	72106	Faulkner County	Mayflower School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 470-2111	315	23	13.9	67.9%	252 (80.0%)	28 (8.9%)	11 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.3%)	50.4	154^th of 335 public middle schools	54.0%		55.3	155^th of 330 public middle schools	53.0%	1		27.4	36.3	26.5	33.3	31.1		24.2	35.1	25.3	34.4	30.1		32.3	28.8	27.7	35.0	30.9					35.5	36.3	30.1	33.3	33.7	$8,613	$1,417	$7,196
Vilonia Middle School	Public	7-8	49 Eagle St	Vilonia	72173	Faulkner County	Vilonia School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 796-2940	479	33	14.6	46.8%	437 (91.2%)	12 (2.5%)	27 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	90.8	18^th of 335 public middle schools	94.6%		86.3	25^th of 330 public middle schools	92.4%	7				53.0	44.9	48.7				53.4	43.6	48.4				57.9	60.5	59.0		100.0	100.0				52.0	56.0	54.1	$8,581	$998	$7,583
Maumelle Charter Middle School	Public, Charter	4-7	900 Edgewood Drive	Maumelle	72113	Pulaski County	Academics Plus Public Charter Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(501) 851-3333	571	29	19.5	22.2%	403 (70.6%)	97 (17.0%)	22 (3.9%)	23 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.0%)	87.6	26^th of 335 public middle schools	92.2%					(n/a)	50.0	45.8	60.4	51.1		51.9	50.0	46.4	55.9	50.4		50.6	55.3	43.9	44.1	54.2		49.1				61.9	45.2	44.1	50.4		50.4
Maumelle Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 Carnaham Dr	Maumelle	72113	Pulaski County	Pulaski County Special School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 851-8990	589	57	10.2	56.5%	205 (34.8%)	298 (50.6%)	49 (8.3%)	11 (1.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.9%)	21.4	285^th of 335 public middle schools	14.9%		41	210^th of 330 public middle schools	36.4%	75			19.2	17.8	25.0	20.7			20.5	19.0	25.0	21.6			21.1	18.6	10.8	17.2	55.5	34.0	40.0			17.2	19.0	21.4	19.3	$10,583	$1,516	$9,067

Frequently Asked Questions about Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School

What district is Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School in?

Conway School District

What high school do graduates of Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School usually go on to attend Conway High School

Is Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School a good school?

Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School ranks 51^st of 335 Arkansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 490 students attended Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School?

Students at Ray/Phyllis Simon Middle School are 49% White, 31% African American, 11% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.