The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools
Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools is a small charter district operating in Pulaski County, serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. Until recently the district ran five campuses spanning two cities, but a notable restructuring has taken place: its two schools in Pine Bluff are no longer in operation, leaving the district with three schools, all located in Jacksonville. Families in Pine Bluff who previously had a Lighthouse charter option within this district no longer do, a change that significantly reduces access for that community.
The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of White, Hispanic, students identifying as two or more races, and Asian representation. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available in the records we reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about support resources and the economic profile of the population.
Academic outcomes on the state’s ATLAS assessment, which covers grades three through eight in math, English language arts, and science, show a pattern of low proficiency rates across most grade levels and subjects. In math, the percentage of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard was in the teens in third through sixth grades, rose to about a quarter in seventh grade, and was suppressed for eighth grade due to small numbers. English language arts results were similarly modest, ranging from about fifteen percent proficient in third grade to just under thirty percent in sixth grade, then dropping slightly in seventh and eighth grades. Science scores were somewhat higher in fourth and sixth grades, where roughly three in ten students scored proficient, but fell back to lower levels in other grades. Overall, the district’s combined proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Pulaski County’s districts.
Chronic absenteeism, a metric that tracks students missing substantial amounts of school, also falls below the midpoint among county districts, meaning the rate of chronic absence is higher than many neighboring systems. On the financial side, the district’s per-pupil current spending sits in the upper range when compared to other Pulaski County districts, a point that may reflect the costs of operating smaller, standalone charter campuses.
Because the district serves students through twelfth grade, families might expect a graduation rate as a key indicator, but that data was absent from the available records. The high school appears to be Jacksonville Lighthouse High School, one of the three active campuses, but without graduation figures or college and career readiness measures, a full picture of the upper grades is incomplete. Program offerings, such as Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, or career pathways, were also not reported in the material we worked from.
For a family considering this district, the central facts are a relatively small charter network that has consolidated its presence into Jacksonville, a student population that is majority Black, academic proficiency rates that are below the county midpoint on state tests, a chronic absenteeism challenge that echoes the broader pattern of the district’s peers, and spending that runs high for the area. The absence of several common data points means a prospective family would benefit from direct conversation with the district’s leadership about learning supports, high school outcomes, and the specific programs each campus offers.
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