Beard Elementary School

Summary:

Beard Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving 309 students in grades PK-5. It is part of the Fort Smith School District, which is ranked 160 out of 252 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Beard Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in standardized test scores, with only 31.7% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Reading, compared to 32.1% for the district and 33.8%/34.1% for the state. The school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.61% to 77.59% over the past 3 years, significantly higher than the district average. However, Beard Elementary's spending per student is higher than the district average, and it has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.4 to 15.3 over the past 3 years.

When comparing Beard Elementary to other nearby schools in the Fort Smith district, it becomes clear that Beard is one of the lower-performing schools. For example, Euper Lane Elementary and John P. Woods Elementary consistently outperform Beard on standardized tests and have higher SchoolDigger rankings. Beard Elementary's performance has also declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 112 out of 466 schools in 2014-2015 to 282 out of 497 schools in 2023-2024. Despite these challenges, the school's low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending could indicate opportunities for targeted interventions and support programs to help improve student achievement.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1600 Cavanaugh Rd
       Fort Smith, AR  72908


(479) 646-0834

District: Fort Smith School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
282nd of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,178 Help


Students who attend Beard Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Ramsey Middle School
High:    Southside High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  309

Racial breakdown:

White:
50.5%
Two or more races:
16.8%
Hispanic:
16.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.3% Help


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 Compare Beard Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Beard Elementary School ranks worse than 56.7% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 10th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Fort Smith School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.37. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Beard Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (50.5%), two or more races (16.8%), Hispanic (16.2%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 77.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Beard Elementary School is 15.3, which is the 2nd best among 19 elementary schools in the Fort Smith School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Beard Elementary School employs 20.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Beard Elementary School is $10,178. 9 elementary schools in the Fort Smith School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Fort Smith School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Smith School District 160th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Beard Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 68.64 118th 411 71.3%
2006 64.06 152nd 402 62.2%
2007 55.69 217th 440 50.7%
2008 55.63 220th 439 49.9%
2009 57.74 219th 445 50.8%
2010 57.50 226th 457 50.5%
2011 46.94 299th 471 36.5%
2012 46.77 307th 468 34.4%
2013 54.33 256th 476 46.2%
2014 66.42 148th 471 68.6%
2015 69.50 112th 466 76.0%
2016 54.24 227th 494 54.0%
2017 64.61 153rd 485 68.5%
2018 57.03 222nd 480 53.8%
2019 52.03 265th 488 45.7%
2021 52.93 255th 496 48.6%
2022 77.50 96th 487 80.3%
2023 53.99 243rd 492 50.6%
2024 45.37 282nd 497 43.3%
See the entire list of Arkansas Elementary School Rankings!

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

Beard Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, July 14, 2016

Open Quote Wonderful learning environment. The teachers truly care about the students. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Beard Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 248 1 0 0 4 n/a n/a 0 253
1989 262 6 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 268
1990 223 7 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 231
1991 238 7 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1992 245 1 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 249
1993 279 4 1 1 6 n/a n/a 0 291
1994 249 14 2 2 15 n/a n/a 0 282
1995 246 7 2 7 12 n/a n/a 0 274
1996 246 7 2 7 12 n/a n/a 0 274
1997 258 13 2 6 17 n/a n/a 0 296
1998 225 16 7 3 26 n/a n/a 0 277
1999 237 9 7 6 22 n/a n/a 0 281
2000 208 13 7 2 30 n/a n/a 0 260
2001 229 11 5 5 28 n/a n/a 0 278
2002 238 23 10 8 9 n/a n/a 0 288
2003 238 23 10 8 9 n/a n/a 0 288
2004 234 24 13 7 12 n/a n/a 0 290
2005 238 28 12 8 8 n/a n/a 0 294
2006 229 28 12 23 6 n/a n/a 0 298
2007 226 27 15 21 6 n/a n/a 0 295
2008 236 35 13 23 11 n/a n/a 0 318
2009 215 32 11 24 12 n/a n/a 0 294
2010 206 17 9 25 9 0 28 0 294
2011 216 18 6 29 9 0 25 0 303
2012 185 27 6 23 15 0 29 0 285
2013 196 34 8 24 8 0 28 0 298
2014 203 22 10 27 7 0 35 0 304
2015 191 31 11 27 5 0 35 0 300
2016 195 27 10 34 3 0 39 0 308
2017 187 24 13 38 2 0 53 0 317
2018 205 41 10 34 2 0 57 0 349
2019 206 49 10 47 3 0 72 0 387
2020 197 46 11 50 4 0 68 0 376
2021 171 33 19 43 8 0 67 0 341
2022 145 20 20 38 6 1 60 0 290
2023 156 23 20 50 5 3 52 0 309

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 Beard Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 253 10.9 23.2 n/a
1989 268 14.0 19.1 n/a
1990 231 13.0 17.7 6.1
1991 247 10.9 22.6 7.3
1992 249 11.4 21.8 8.4
1993 291 16.3 17.9 19.9
1994 282 17.4 16.2 26.6
1995 274 17.5 15.7 21.2
1996 274 17.5 15.7 21.2
1997 296 19.5 15.2 30.1
1998 277 19.5 14.2 31.4
1999 281 13.3 21.1 35.6
2000 260 18.0 14.4 36.5
2001 278 20.0 13.9 39.6
2002 288 21.0 13.7 43.1
2003 288 21.0 13.7 43.1
2004 290 22.0 13.2 45.9
2005 294 24.0 12.3 47.3
2006 298 21.0 14.2 48.7
2007 295 24.0 12.3 48.8
2008 318 26.0 12.2 54.4
2009 294 23.0 12.8 59.5
2010 294 23.5 11.3 59.5
2011 303 20.0 15.1 60.7
2012 285 19.6 14.4 65.3
2013 298 21.4 13.8 66.8
2014 304 21.0 14.4 65.8
2015 300 22.0 13.6 63.7
2016 308 21.0 14.6 67.2
2017 317 21.1 14.9 27.1
2018 349 24.2 14.3 31.8
2019 387 23.2 16.6 71.1
2020 376 23.0 16.3 75
2021 341 23.5 14.4 73.6
2022 290 19.1 15.1 77.6
2023 309 20.1 15.3 77.3

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 Beard Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 253 10.9 23.2 n/a
1989 268 14.0 19.1 n/a
1990 231 13.0 17.7 6.1
1991 247 10.9 22.6 7.3
1992 249 11.4 21.8 8.4
1993 291 16.3 17.9 19.9
1994 282 17.4 16.2 26.6
1995 274 17.5 15.7 21.2
1996 274 17.5 15.7 21.2
1997 296 19.5 15.2 30.1
1998 277 19.5 14.2 31.4
1999 281 13.3 21.1 35.6
2000 260 18.0 14.4 36.5
2001 278 20.0 13.9 39.6
2002 288 21.0 13.7 43.1
2003 288 21.0 13.7 43.1
2004 290 22.0 13.2 45.9
2005 294 24.0 12.3 47.3
2006 298 21.0 14.2 48.7
2007 295 24.0 12.3 48.8
2008 318 26.0 12.2 54.4
2009 294 23.0 12.8 59.5
2010 294 23.5 11.3 59.5
2011 303 20.0 15.1 60.7
2012 285 19.6 14.4 65.3
2013 298 21.4 13.8 66.8
2014 304 21.0 14.4 65.8
2015 300 22.0 13.6 63.7
2016 308 21.0 14.6 67.2
2017 317 21.1 14.9 27.1
2018 349 24.2 14.3 31.8
2019 387 23.2 16.6 71.1
2020 376 23.0 16.3 75
2021 341 23.5 14.4 73.6
2022 290 19.1 15.1 77.6
2023 309 20.1 15.3 77.3

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 Beard Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,867 (18.3%) $8,312 (81.7%) $10,178

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Beard 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 265th of 488 Elementary schoolsRanks 243rd of 492 Elementary schools
 4.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English (Beard Elementary School)5872.7
 14.7%
   3rd Grade English (Fort Smith School District)65.457.5
 7.9%
   3rd Grade English (Arkansas)72.462.6
 9.8%
3rd Grade Math (Beard Elementary School)5468.2
 14.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Fort Smith School District)54.148.5
 5.6%
   3rd Grade Math (Arkansas)62.154.4
 7.7%
3rd Grade Science (Beard Elementary School)2243.1
 21.1%
   3rd Grade Science (Fort Smith School District)30.628.1
 2.5%
   3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)39.435
 4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Beard Elementary School)3438.7
 4.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Fort Smith School District)32.129.4
 2.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Arkansas)38.332.2
 6.1%
4th Grade English (Beard Elementary School)79.246.7
 32.5%
   4th Grade English (Fort Smith School District)6660.7
 5.3%
   4th Grade English (Arkansas)69.663.3
 6.3%
4th Grade Math (Beard Elementary School)73.637.8
 35.8%
   4th Grade Math (Fort Smith School District)49.541.7
 7.8%
   4th Grade Math (Arkansas)53.848.6
 5.2%
4th Grade Science (Beard Elementary School)43.433.3
 10.1%
   4th Grade Science (Fort Smith School District)33.134
 0.9%
   4th Grade Science (Arkansas)42.338.5
 3.8%
4th Grade Reading (Beard Elementary School)52.937.8
 15.1%
   4th Grade Reading (Fort Smith School District)42.238.8
 3.4%
   4th Grade Reading (Arkansas)45.342
 3.3%
5th Grade English (Beard Elementary School)71.584.4
 12.9%
   5th Grade English (Fort Smith School District)71.667.7
 3.9%
   5th Grade English (Arkansas)73.370.2
 3.1%
5th Grade Math (Beard Elementary School)53.628.9
 24.7%
   5th Grade Math (Fort Smith School District)46.636.5
 10.1%
   5th Grade Math (Arkansas)49.240.7
 8.5%
5th Grade Science (Beard Elementary School)39.331.1
 8.2%
   5th Grade Science (Fort Smith School District)37.332
 5.3%
   5th Grade Science (Arkansas)40.734.6
 6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Beard Elementary School)3433.3
 0.7%
   5th Grade Reading (Fort Smith School District)3535.1
 0.1%
   5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)4136.8
 4.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students387309
 20.2%
African American4923
 53.1%
American Indian35
 66.7%
Asian1020
 100%
Hispanic4750
 6.4%
Pacific Islander03
White206156
 24.3%
Two or More Races7252
 27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients71.1%77.3%
 6.3%


Schools Near Beard Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Beard Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 309 students attended Beard Elementary School.

Beard Elementary School ranks 282nd of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Beard Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ramsey Middle School
High : Southside High School

Students at Beard Elementary School are 50% White, 17% Two or more races, 16% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% Asian, 2% American Indian.


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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.





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