Summary:
The 72908 zip code area of Fort Smith, Arkansas is home to three elementary schools: Elmer H. Cook Elementary, Cavanaugh Elementary, and Beard Elementary. Based on the available data, Elmer H. Cook Elementary stands out as the top-performing school in the area, with a statewide ranking of 65 out of 497 Arkansas elementary schools and significantly higher proficiency rates on standardized tests compared to the district and state averages.
In contrast, Cavanaugh Elementary and Beard Elementary have lower statewide rankings and proficiency rates, with Beard Elementary being the lowest-performing of the three schools. This performance gap is evident across subjects like English Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. Additionally, all three schools have seen a decline in their statewide rankings and SchoolDigger star ratings over the past three school years, suggesting potential challenges in maintaining academic excellence.
The data also reveals differences in student demographics and school spending. Beard Elementary has the highest percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 77.35%, followed by Cavanaugh Elementary at 66.45% and Elmer H. Cook Elementary at 56.4%. While Beard Elementary has the highest per-student spending, it also has the lowest academic performance, indicating that simply spending more money may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes.
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